Stojakovic scores 20, Blacksher Jr. adds 19 to help Cal beat USC 71-66
LOS ANGELES -- — Andrej Stojakovic scored 20 points and Jovan Blacksher Jr. 19 and Joshua Ola-Joseph made several plays down the stretch Sunday night to help California beat Southern California 71-66 in a matchup between former conference rivals in the now-defunct Pac-12.
Cal (3-1), now in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Trojans (Big Ten) played as nonconference opponents for the first time since 1921. The Golden Bears, who have won back-to-back games against USC following 10 consecutive losses against the Trojans, lead the all-time series 138-134.
Desmond Claude hit a jumper before Saint Thomas made back-to-back baskets in the paint to give USC (3-1) a 64-63 lead with 6:30 to play but the Trojans made 1 of 10 from the field thereon as Cal scored eight of the final 10 points.
BJ Omot made with a 3-pointer with 4:54 left and Ola-Joseph scored in the lane to give the Bears a four-point lead 1:51 remaining. Ola-Joseph grabbed an offensive rebound before Stojakovic made two free throws with 21 seconds left and then blocked a shot by Claude.
Blacksher made 1 of 2 from the free-throw line to cap the scoring just before the buzzer.
Ola-Joseph finished with six points, seven rebounds and a steal — all in the final 12 minutes.
Claude, a 6-foot-6 Xavier transfer, scored 13 of his 20 points in the first half and Thomas finished with 15 for USC (3-1). Wesley Yates III scored all his 10 points before halftime.
Cal earned its first nonconference road win since it beat Seattle 81-59 on Dec. 19, 2017.
The first half featured nine ties and 10 lead changes before Blacksher hit a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left that cut Cal's deficit to 43-42. Blacksher, a graduate transfer from Grand Canyon, made 4 of 5 from 3-point range and matched his previous season high with 18 first-half points on 7-of-8 shooting.
DJ Campbell hit a jumper and Stojakovic scored six consecutive Cal points before Campbell a 3-pointer to cap an 11-2 run that gave the Bears a six-point lead with 15:37 to play.
------ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Game Information
- Referees:
- Kevin Brill
- Verne Harris
- Earl Walton
2024-25 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 8-0 | - | 16-2 |
| Clemson | 7-1 | 1 | 15-4 |
| Louisville | 7-1 | 1 | 14-5 |
| Wake Forest | 6-1 | 1.5 | 14-4 |
| SMU | 5-2 | 2.5 | 14-4 |
| North Carolina | 5-2 | 2.5 | 12-7 |
| Florida State | 4-3 | 3.5 | 13-5 |
| Stanford | 4-3 | 3.5 | 12-6 |
| Pittsburgh | 3-4 | 4.5 | 12-6 |
| Syracuse | 3-4 | 4.5 | 9-9 |
| Virginia Tech | 3-4 | 4.5 | 8-10 |
| California | 2-5 | 5.5 | 9-9 |
| NC State | 2-5 | 5.5 | 9-9 |
| Notre Dame | 2-5 | 5.5 | 8-10 |
| Georgia Tech | 2-6 | 6 | 8-11 |
| Boston College | 1-6 | 6.5 | 9-9 |
| Virginia | 1-6 | 6.5 | 8-10 |
| Miami | 0-7 | 7.5 | 4-14 |
2024-25 Big Ten Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 7-0 | - | 16-2 |
| Purdue | 7-1 | 0.5 | 15-4 |
| Michigan | 6-1 | 1 | 14-4 |
| Wisconsin | 5-2 | 2 | 15-3 |
| Indiana | 5-3 | 2.5 | 14-5 |
| Illinois | 5-3 | 2.5 | 13-5 |
| Oregon | 4-3 | 3 | 15-3 |
| Maryland | 4-4 | 3.5 | 14-5 |
| UCLA | 3-4 | 4 | 12-6 |
| Iowa | 3-4 | 4 | 12-6 |
| USC | 3-4 | 4 | 11-7 |
| Penn State | 3-5 | 4.5 | 13-6 |
| Rutgers | 3-5 | 4.5 | 10-9 |
| Nebraska | 2-5 | 5 | 12-6 |
| Northwestern | 2-5 | 5 | 11-7 |
| Ohio State | 2-5 | 5 | 10-8 |
| Washington | 1-6 | 6 | 10-8 |
| Minnesota | 1-6 | 6 | 9-9 |
Men's College Basketball News