Previewing SU women’s basketball’s ACC Tournament opener vs. Cal
Syracuse played Cal to a triple-overtime thriller in January. They meet again in the second round of the ACC Tournament Thursday. Avery Magee | Photo Editor
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DULUTH, Ga. — Of the 22 teams Syracuse women’s basketball beat in the 2025-26 regular season, Cal is certainly one it may not have wanted to see again.
The Golden Bears pushed SU to the brink and beyond in a triple-overtime thriller on Jan. 15. The Orange needed a Dominique Darius go-ahead 3-pointer with two seconds left to emerge victorious, and while Syracuse had enough gas to get over the finish line, it was by far its most strenuous effort to get a win.
So, SU can’t be too happy to be facing the Golden Bears a month and a half later in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. But that’s how March works — you’ll need to face and beat those demons to really grow.
Here’s everything to know about Cal (19-13, 9-9 ACC) before it takes on Syracuse (22-7, 12-6 ACC) in the ACC Tournament Second Round Thursday:
All-time series
Cal leads 2-1.
Last time they played
In the two teams’ triple-overtime thriller on Jan. 15, Syracuse led by as much as 20 in the second half, but Cal erased the deficit with a 25-9 fourth-quarter run. A Lulu Twidale game-tying 3-pointer sent the game to overtime, tied at 62.
SU took control in the first overtime period before Twidale canned back-to-back 3s to extend the game five minutes, tied at 74. Despite trailing for most of the second overtime, Darius tied the game at 83 with under a minute to play. And even though the Orange trailed for over 60% of the final overtime period, Darius’ unforgettable game-winner was the difference in a slugfest.
The game featured six lead changes and 10 ties, easily Syracuse’s most up-and-down thriller of the season.
The Golden Bears report
The absolute scariest thing you can get in an opponent this time of year is one that’s hungry and hot. Cal is both. The Golden Bears already enter Thursday’s contest wanting to avenge January’s heartbreaker on the road. And they’ve looked good lately.
Cal picked up a few key wins in February, notably its first Quad 1 victory over Virginia on Feb. 12. The Golden Bears won five of their last eight games of the year before destroying No. 15 seed Wake Forest 75-52 in the ACC Tournament First Round Wednesday.
Aside from that win over Virginia, though, Cal has struggled against good opponents. It sits at 1-8 in Quad 1 opportunities and 3-3 in Quad 2 games.
The Golden Bears are led by Twidale offensively — who averages 16.1 points per game — but have just one other player averaging in double figures. Also keep an eye out for forward Naya Ojukwu, who averages just 7.2 points but lit up for 25 last time out against the Orange.
How Syracuse beats Cal
The reality of single-elimination competitions like the ACC Tournament is that, when you get around the 7-12 seeds, just about any team could realistically beat anyone else. All it takes is one team getting hot at the right time.
Cal certainly showed glimpses of that Wednesday, albeit against a pretty mediocre Wake Forest squad. So, Syracuse’s key to the game Thursday will be ensuring the Golden Bears can’t carry over too much momentum, and — as SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack calls it — punch the Orange first.
Syracuse has struggled most this year when playing from behind. The Orange often do enough to hang around in games, but if they’re dealt an early double-digit deficit — like they were against Louisville and NC State — they haven’t shown they can consistently complete a comeback.
The Orange need to attack inside early with their recently-crowned ACC Rookie of the Year Uche Izoje. Cal allows 46.4 2-point field goal attempts per game, a bottom-10 mark in the nation, meaning SU should have no problem getting looks inside. If Izoje can help Syracuse land the first punch, it should give it a major boost.
Stat to know: 13.9
Cal is one of the worst teams in the country at forcing turnovers, causing just 13.9 per game this year. That ranks 307th of 363 Division I teams, per SportsReference.
Syracuse, meanwhile, ranks in the top 65 in forced turnovers and steals, while only giving the ball away 15.8 times per game, which ranks 153rd in D-I.
The Orange can sometimes shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers early, as they did against Louisville. But against a team like Cal that doesn’t pressure the ball as intensely, Syracuse might handily win the turnover margin, which would give it a key advantage.
Player to watch: Lulu Twidale, guard, No. 10
Twidale almost single-handedly propelled the Golden Bears to a stunning comeback win at the JMA Wireless Dome in January. She dropped 16 points in a dumbfounding 53 total minutes, including four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Since that game, Twidale’s only improved. She entered the contest averaging 13.1 points per game, which has now increased to 16.1. She dropped a season-high 36 points against Boston College three days after the defeat to SU and has six 20-point games since last playing the Orange.
While she scored just 11 in Cal’s win over Wake Forest Wednesday, she’ll be the conductor of the Golden Bears’ offense as it looks to upset the Orange Thursday.
