CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) – Mady Sissoko tied a career high with 16 points and added eight rebounds, but the California men's basketball team could not keep up with North Carolina in the second half of a 79-53 loss Wednesday night at the Dean Smith Center.
Â
Five players scored for the Tar Heels (12-6, 5-1 ACC) in a 15-0 run that turned a nine-point lead into a 63-39 rout with a little under eight minutes remaining in the second half. Ian Jackson scored seven of his game-high 20 points in the final five minutes and his layup with about two minutes to go gave the Tar Heels their biggest lead at 77-50. Cal (8-9, 1-5), which fell below .500 for the first time this season, scored five points in the last five minutes.
Â
The Golden Bears scored six of the first eight points in the second half – keyed by back-to-back buckets from Sissoko – to cut their deficit to 41-35 before North Carolina reeled off 22 of the next 26 points.
Â
Cal's three leading scorers in
Andrej Stojakovic – who entered the game averaging a league-leading 24.2 points per game in ACC play –
Jeremiah Wilkinson and
Jovan Blacksher Jr. finished a combined 5-of-33 shooting from the floor. Stojakovic was held to a season-low six points, marking the first time he's scored single digits this season.
Â
Joshua Ola-Joseph scored 10 points to join Sissoko as the lone Bears with double-figure points.
Â
Blacksher reached 1,500 career points with a 3-pointer in the final minute of the game.
Â
Elliot Cadeau scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half and North Carolina shot 57% from the field to lead by 10 at halftime, 39-29.
Â
UP NEXT
Cal's first road trip of the season to North Carolina concludes at NC State on Saturday. Tipoff at Lenovo Center in Raleigh is at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET and the contest will be televised on ACC Network.
Â
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 theÂ
Cal Men's Basketball Excellence Initiative or theÂ
California Legends Collective.
Â
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal men's basketball, follow the Bears on X (
@CalMBBall), Instagram (
@CalMBBball) and Facebook (
/CalMBBall/).
Â