December 6th 2024.
In a thrilling ACC/SEC Challenge matchup on Thursday night, the California Golden Bears delivered a stunning blow to No. 19 ranked Alabama, handing them their first loss of the season with a final score of 69-65. Led by a stellar performance from Kayla Williams, who scored 21 points, the Bears put up a fierce fight against their opponents.
With only half a minute left in the game, Ionna Krimili, who had a total of 19 points, made three crucial free throws to secure the win for her team. Despite never leading by more than six points throughout the game, the Bears maintained their composure and fought until the very end. Krimili's two free throws with 26.6 seconds to go gave the Bears a slight edge, but they couldn't relax just yet.
Alabama's Christabel Ezumah made one of two free throws, bringing the score to 68-63 with only 19.1 seconds remaining. However, Krimili, known for her impressive free throw record, missed two shots from the line, giving the Crimson Tide a chance to close the gap. Zaay Green took advantage of the opportunity and scored for Alabama, but Krimili redeemed herself by scoring on her third attempt and securing the win for the Bears with six seconds left on the clock.
Mara Suarez also played a crucial role for Cal, adding 16 points to the board. This win marks their fourth victory against a team that made it to the NCAA Tournament in 2024, and their highest-ranked win since beating No. 13 Arizona in March 2020. The Golden Bears have not made it to the NCAA Tournament since 2019, making this victory even more significant for the team.
On the other side, Green led the Crimson Tide with an impressive 28 points, followed by Essence Cody with 13 and Karly Weathers with 12. The game was a close one from start to finish, with Cal holding a slim 14-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, a strong 15-2 run from Alabama in the second quarter put them in the lead. Cody and Green were the top scorers for the team with six and five points respectively.
But the Bears fought back and scored eight consecutive points, narrowing the gap to 32-25 at halftime. The third quarter saw a back-and-forth battle between the two teams until Cal's Krimili and Suarez each hit a three-pointer, giving their team a 54-50 lead heading into the final quarter.
This was only the second time these two teams have met, with their first encounter taking place in a Thanksgiving tournament back in 2000, which Alabama won 76-63. Looking ahead, the Bears will face Pacific on Saturday, while the Crimson Tide have a long break before their next game against Murray State on December 15th.
Overall, it was a thrilling and hard-fought game between these two teams, with Cal ultimately emerging as the victors. Both teams put up an impressive performance, and it will be exciting to see how they fare in their upcoming matchups.
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