Cal women's basketball rallies past Santa Clara, Stanford and USF women also secure postseason wins

The Cal women's team overcame an 8-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Santa Clara, while Stanford and USF also won their tournament openers.

Mar. 20, 2026 at 5:33am by Ben Kaplan

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The Cal women's basketball team rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Santa Clara 72-68 in a WBIT first-round game. Lulu Twidale and Sakima Walker combined for 17 points in the final period to erase an 8-point Broncos lead. Meanwhile, the Stanford women defeated Loyola Marymount 80-76 in the WBIT, and the USF women routed Utah Valley 80-50 in the WNIT, both in their tournament openers.

Why it matters

The wins by the local women's basketball teams extend their postseason runs, giving their players valuable tournament experience and a chance to compete for championships. The Cal and Stanford victories are particularly notable as they came against tough opponents, showcasing the strength of Bay Area women's hoops.

The details

In the Cal-Santa Clara game, the Bears led by 7 at halftime but saw the Broncos score 26 points in the third quarter to take a 55-49 lead. Cal then rallied in the fourth, with Twidale scoring 7 of her 27 points from the free throw line and Walker adding 8 of her 19 points on layups. The Cardinal, meanwhile, led Loyola Marymount by 10 at halftime but had to hold off a late Lions surge, while the Dons dominated Utah Valley from start to finish.

  • On Thursday, March 20, 2026, the Cal women defeated Santa Clara 72-68 in a WBIT first-round game.
  • Also on March 20, 2026, the Stanford women beat Loyola Marymount 80-76 in the WBIT, and the USF women routed Utah Valley 80-50 in the WNIT.

The players

Lulu Twidale

A Cal women's basketball player who scored 27 points and had 11 rebounds in the win over Santa Clara.

Sakima Walker

A Cal women's basketball player who scored 19 points, including 8 in the fourth quarter, to help the Bears rally past Santa Clara.

Nunu Agara

A Stanford women's basketball player who had 26 points and 16 rebounds in the Cardinal's win over Loyola Marymount.

Candy Edokpaigbe

A USF women's basketball player who scored 20 points in the Dons' victory over Utah Valley.

Mara Neira

A USF women's basketball player who added 15 points in the Dons' WNIT first-round win.

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What they’re saying

“Tournaments are for winning, so we want to win as many games as we can and extend our season.”

— Molly Goodenbour, USF women's basketball coach

What’s next

The Cal women will play a second-round WBIT game at Kansas State on Sunday, March 22nd at 4pm. The Stanford women will face Quinnipiac in a second-round WBIT game at Maples Pavilion on Sunday at 2pm. The USF women will play at Montana State in a second-round WNIT game on Sunday at 1pm.

The takeaway

The victories by the local women's basketball teams in the postseason tournaments showcase the strength and competitiveness of Bay Area women's hoops. The ability of these teams to rally from deficits and advance in the tournaments demonstrates their resilience and determination to extend their seasons as far as possible.