Cal Women Hung a Century on Long Beach State and the League Should Be Terrified

The Cal Bears women’s basketball team just absolutely *demolished* Long Beach State, hitting the century mark with a 100-46 win at Haas Pavilion on Thursday night. Talk about setting a tone.

Cal’s Offensive Explosion Is No Joke

Seriously, a 100-point game is a statement, especially this early in the season. Lulu Twidale led the charge with 15 points, but she wasn’t alone: five Cal players dropped double figures. This team isn’t just relying on one star, they’ve got depth. They were up by 12 after the first quarter, extended that to a 24-point lead by halftime, and basically put the game away entering the final quarter with a massive 74-25 advantage. They shot a ridiculous 54% from the field, won the battle on the boards 48-30, and forced 16 turnovers that they converted into 18 points. That’s just efficiency, plain and simple. Taylor Barnes and Jovana Jevtovic each added 14 points, while Shannon Dowell and Gisella Maul chipped in 12 apiece. Cal is now 2-0, having already taken down Washington State on Monday. They’re looking scary good.

USF’s Wild Overtime Thriller

If Cal’s game was a blowout, the USF Dons’ opener against Hawaii was a certified roller coaster. The Dons started hot, roaring to a massive 20-0 lead. You think that’s it, right? Nope. They were still up 26-12 after the first and held a nine-point lead at halftime, but then things went sideways. They actually fell behind by nine points in the fourth quarter. Can you believe it? Blowing a 20-0 lead and then trailing late! But they weren’t done. USF dug deep, putting together a crucial 9-0 run to close out regulation. Aina Cargol hit the tying basket with only 20 seconds left, sending the game to overtime. Then, in the extra period, Cargol took over again, scoring seven of her 17 points to finally secure the 85-79 victory over the Rainbow Wahine. What a dramatic way to start the season. Maria Burliga also had a strong night for USF with 17 points, Candy Edokpaigbe added 15, and Savi Mi had 14. Hawaii’s Ritorya Tamilo put up a game-high 27 points, but it wasn’t enough.

So, two very different openers for these teams. Cal looks like an offensive powerhouse ready to roll through opponents, while USF proved they can take a punch and come back swinging. Both start their seasons with wins, and it’s going to be interesting to see how these early performances shape their confidence moving forward.

This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.

Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.