In a thrilling matchup on Wednesday night in Berkeley, California, the California Golden Bears defeated the Virginia Cavaliers, 75-61, marking their inaugural win in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Andrej Stojakovic led Cal with 23 points, while DJ Campbell contributed significantly with 11 points. The victory was historic for the Golden Bears as it was their first win in their three-game series against Virginia.

Cal also saw notable performances from their bench, with Joshua Ola-Joseph and Jeremiah Wilkinson each adding 10 points. Additionally, Maddy Sisoko made a strong impact by securing 11 rebounds, helping his team establish an effective presence in the paint. Meanwhile, Virginia’s efforts were led by Andrew Rhode, who scored 14 points. Jacob Cofie also contributed, while Elijah Saunders recorded 11 points along with 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to clinch the victory for the Cavaliers.

The game began with Virginia taking an early 9-3 lead. However, the Golden Bears quickly fought back with a 10-2 run, propelling them to a 13-11 advantage. As the half progressed, the lead exchanged hands multiple times. By halftime, Cal had managed to secure a narrow lead of 35-32, setting the stage for an intense second half.

Cal came out strong after the break, opening with an impressive 8-0 run, which extended their lead to 43-32 following a smooth jump shot by Stojakovic. He soon became the first player to reach double digits in scoring, hitting two free throws to push the score to 45-34 just a couple of minutes later. From that point, Cal maintained a commanding lead, never allowing Virginia to close the gap.

Looking ahead, Virginia will stay in the Bay Area and face Stanford on Saturday, while Cal is set to host Virginia Tech on the same day, both teams eager to build on their respective performances.