BERKELEY, Calif. (Interstat) — In a nonconference women’s basketball clash defined by starkly contrasting offensive philosophies, the California Golden Bears rode a historic shooting performance and a dynamic double-double from Mjracle Sheppard to an 80-69 victory over the visiting Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Thursday night at Haas Pavilion.

The Golden Bears, improving to 13-9 overall, were surgical in their efficiency, connecting on a blistering 10 of 14 attempts from three-point range and 24 of 39 shots overall from the floor. This translated to a staggering offensive rating of 113.2 points per 100 possessions. Notre Dame, which fell to 13-8, could not match that firepower despite forcing 18 turnovers and grabbing 13 offensive rebounds. The Irish shot just 39.7 percent from the field and managed only 6-of-19 from beyond the arc, posting an offensive rating of 96.2.

The game’s decisive stretch came late in the third quarter and bled into the fourth, turning a narrow contest into a comfortable California lead. With Notre Dame trailing 52-49 and showing signs of life, the Golden Bears unleashed a critical 11-2 run. Lulu Twidale of Australia, who finished with 19 points, drilled a three-pointer. After a Notre Dame miss, Sheppard found Twidale again for another triple, pushing the lead to nine. Following an Irish turnover, Sheppard, who orchestrated the offense masterfully, capped the run with her own three-point jumper, giving California a 60-51 advantage with just over a minute left in the third. The Irish never recovered, as every attempt to cut the deficit was met with a poised response from the Golden Bears.

Sheppard, a guard from Kent, Washington, was the catalyst throughout, logging 38 minutes and filling the stat sheet with 18 points and 10 assists. Her command of the game was evident in the play-by-play, consistently breaking down the Notre Dame defense to create open looks for her teammates. She was complemented by Twidale’s 19 points and 16 points from Gisella Maul of Cedar Park, Texas. Center Sakima Walker of Columbus, Ohio, anchored the interior with 12 points, three blocks, and a game-high nine rebounds.

Notre Dame was led by the prolific scoring of guard Hannah Hidalgo of Merchantville, New Jersey, who played all 40 minutes and scored a game-high 22 points to go with six assists. Iyana Moore of Milwaukee added 20 points, but the rest of the Irish lineup struggled to find consistent offense. The Irish were hampered by 11 turnovers of their own and a significant disparity in free throw attempts, with California taking 33 to Notre Dame’s 12.

The most important part of the game was California’s unflappable offensive execution under pressure. Despite Notre Dame’s persistent defensive pressure, which generated 13 steals, the Golden Bears never allowed the game to descend into a chaotic, turnover-fueled affair that would have favored the Irish. Instead, they maintained remarkable composure, moving the ball to find the open shooter and capitalizing at an extraordinary rate. This poise was most evident during the pivotal third-quarter run, where quick ball movement and confident shooting extinguished Notre Dame’s last serious threat.

From the opening tip, California set the tone with hot shooting, building a 24-20 lead after the first quarter. They extended that margin to 43-33 by halftime, thanks in large part to a 7-of-9 performance from three-point range in the opening half. Notre Dame chipped away in the third quarter, closing to within three points on multiple occasions, but could never string together enough stops and scores to overtake the efficient Golden Bears.

The result defied the pregame projections, as Notre Dame had been installed as a 7.5-point favorite by oddsmakers and was given a 65.3 percent probability to win by statistical models. The combined score of 149 points also went over the posted over/under line of 139.5. An announced crowd of 2,357 at Haas Pavilion witnessed the upset.

Both teams now turn their attention back to conference play. Notre Dame continues its West Coast swing with a game at Stanford on Sunday. California, meanwhile, will host Louisville on Sunday.