In a thrilling matchup on Wednesday night, the California Golden Bears triumphed over the Florida State Seminoles with a score of 77-68. Jeremiah Wilkinson was a standout player, contributing 18 points to the team’s victory. Mady Sissoko and Rytis Petraitis both recorded double-doubles, with Sissoko scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, while Petraitis achieved 12 points and 13 rebounds. Additionally, Joshua Ola-Joseph came off the bench to add 14 points, and DJ Campbell chipped in with 11 points.
The decisive moment of the game came with three minutes left, as Sissoko electrified the crowd with a dunk that extended Cal’s lead to 69-59. Florida State fought back, with Daquan Davis and Jamir Watkins making crucial baskets to narrow the gap to six points with just 1:20 left in the game. However, California maintained control down the stretch, successfully converting all eight of their free-throw attempts to secure their win.
The second half featured a pivotal moment when a dunk from Jerry Deng propelled the Seminoles to a brief 51-49 lead with around 12 minutes to go. Unfortunately for Florida State, they struggled offensively, managing only eight points over a lengthy nine-minute stretch and missing 11 consecutive shots at one point. During this drought, California capitalized, scoring 18 points and building their lead to 67-55 with four and a half minutes remaining.
California’s strong start saw all five of its starters score within the initial seven minutes, fueling a 13-0 run that gave them an early 15-6 advantage. Although Florida State later edged ahead 29-27 with four minutes remaining in the first half, California rallied back to finish the half strong with a 10-4 run, heading into the break with a 37-33 lead. Despite shooting only 39% from the field, the Golden Bears dominated the boards with a 25-15 rebound advantage and capitalized on turnovers with a 13-6 victory in points off turnovers.
On the Seminoles’ side, they had noteworthy performances from Watkins, who tallied 18 points, Malique Ewin, who registered a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Jerry Deng, who added 11 points.
Looking ahead, the Golden Bears are gearing up for a stretch of five home games out of their next six, with their next challenge coming against Miami this Saturday. Meanwhile, Florida State will conclude their trip to the Bay Area against Stanford on the same day.
