In Greensboro, North Carolina, Ugonne Onyiah and Marta Suarez led California to a decisive victory over Virginia with both players contributing 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds each. Lulu Twidale also added 16 points to the mix, nailing four 3-pointers, as the seventh-seeded Golden Bears defeated the tenth-seeded Cavaliers 75-58 during the second round of the ACC Tournament on Thursday.
California, now holding a record of 25-7, will confront the No. 6-ranked Notre Dame in the quarterfinals on Friday. The last encounter between these two teams saw the Irish dominating with a 91-52 win on February 9. Kayla Williams also aided the Golden Bears’ victory with 12 points, as California maintained a 46% shooting accuracy, connected on 9 of 24 from the 3-point range, and out-rebounded their opponents significantly.
Onyiah provided early momentum by scoring at the end of the first quarter, allowing California to establish an 11-point lead that never dropped below double digits for the rest of the game.
For Virginia, Kymora Johnson stood out with 18 points and contributed on the boards. Paris Clark scored 15 points, while Breona Hurd added 10 before suffering an injury early in the final quarter. Latasha Lattimore, who played impressively in a previous win against Pitt, also left the game injured after falling in the second quarter and did not return.
Heading into the fourth quarter, California had established a commanding 23-point lead. Virginia managed to cut the deficit to 15 at one point, but strong performances from Suarez and Twidale, particularly in the third quarter, secured Cal’s dominance throughout the game.
Suarez and Twidale’s early scoring in the third quarter expanded the Bears’ halftime lead from 16 to a game-high 26. Although California faced a scoring drought for four minutes, allowing Virginia to close in with 10 points, Twidale’s 3-pointer ended the Cavaliers’ momentum. Her shooting brilliance was evident with three 3-pointers in the period, helping California finish the third quarter with a 62-39 advantage.
