Bears Topped By Tar Heels

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.

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.

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.

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.

Joshua Ola-Joseph scored 10 points to join Sissoko as the lone Bears with double-figure points.

Blacksher reached 1,500 career points with a 3-pointer in the final minute of the game.

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.

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.