Cal Women's Basketball rolls on to 6-0 record in win over Auburn

A 12-2 run to end the game earns a gritty as hell win for the Bears

Cal WBB at San Jose State. Courtesy: Cal Athletics

It wasn’t perfect nor pretty but Charmin Smith’s team is now 6-0 for the second straight year after a tough as nails performance in a 63-59 win against Auburn. The Bears and Tigers could never shake each other in the second half, with neither team having more than a six point lead at any point.

The teams went back and forth down the stretch, with Auburn taking a 57-51 lead into one of the final media timeouts. Cal hunkered down on defense to close the game thanks to Jayda Noble’s energy and Michelle Oniyah’s rebounding.

The Bears did have a maddening amount of turnovers, 29 (!!!!) throughout. Auburn’s length bothered Cal from getting into offensive sets and at times, with a flurry of turnovers giving the Tigers easy transition baskets.

However, the Bears would not be denied. Lulu Twidale scored 22 points on 7/11 FG’s (4/8 from 3) and did a masterful job working on and off the ball. Cal would close the game on a 12-2 run, beating Auburn to take both matchups in the series.

I wasn’t proud of how we played but I’m proud of how we fought,” said Charmin Smith postgame. “Pressure breaks pipes or makes diamonds and tonight we were diamonds.”

Michelle Oniyah had a near double double with 11 points and 8 rebounds and Ioanna Krimili had 14 points along with 6 assists to complement Twidale on the offensive end of the floor.

The Bears will head to Palm Springs for their neutral site showcase next week.

As Charmin Smith declared postgame, “bring a freakin friend” to Haas Pavilion. This team is more than worthy of your time and support.