BERKELEY – Freshman Jeremiah Wilkinson scored a career-high 23 points off the bench to lead a short-handed California men's basketball squad to a 78-69 win over Air Force in the Cal Classic on Thursday night at Haas Pavilion.
 
Wilkinson, who came into the game with 11 points through the first four games of the season, made 8 of 12 shots from the floor with two 3-pointers for Cal, which improved to 4-1 despite being without three starters – Jovan Blacksher Jr., DJ Campbell and BJ Omot – due to injury.
 
"What a coming out party for (Jeremiah) to showcase what he can do at the lead guard position. He was phenomenal," said Cal associate head coach Adam Mazarei. "His speed, his athleticism, his finishing at the rim was huge."
 
Andrej Stojakovic added a career-high 21 points – his second straight game with a career-best scoring effort – and grabbed six rebounds, while Rytis Petraitis totaled 12 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists against his former team in his first start of the year.
 
Petraitis sank all four of his shots and all three of his four free throws in the first half, scoring 11 to help the Golden Bears take a 35-27 lead into intermission.
 
Ethan Taylor hit back-to-back 3-pointers to get the Falcons (1-4) within 49-47 with 11:42 left to play, but Lee Dort answered with a three-point play, Wilkinson followed with a four-point play – a 3-pointer and the foul in the corner near an erupting Cal bench – and the Bears maintained at least a two-possession lead the rest of the way.
 
Cal shot 53.8% from the floor and outrebounded the Falcons 34-24. Wilkinson and Dort combined for 32 points off the bench.
 
Taylor sank five of Air Force's 11 3-pointers and scored 23 points to pace the Falcons before fouling out. Luke Kearney scored 14 off the bench and Wesley Celichowski scored 12 with two 3-pointers.
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will host Sacramento State at 1 p.m. PT Sunday in the second game of the Cal Classic.
 
SUPPORT THE BEARS
Tickets for the 2024-25 campaign can be purchased by visiting CalBears.com/Tickets, calling 800-GO-BEARS (462-3277) or emailing goldstandard@berkeley.edu. Fans can support the Golden Bears through the Cal Men's Basketball Excellence Initiative or the California Legends Collective.
 
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