Cal's Streak Stopped in Dallas
DALLAS – Rytis Petraitis double-doubled with 18 points and 10 rebounds and two other Golden Bears finished with double-figure points but the California men’s basketball team’s three-game win streak was snapped with a 76-65 loss at SMU on Wednesday.
The Bears (11-10, 4-6 ACC), who trailed by double digits for much of the second half, got within 61-55 near the five-minute mark before a three-point play by Chuck Harris helped SMU rebuild a 12-point lead at 67-55 with 3 1/2 minutes to go. A 3-pointer by Jeremiah Wilkinson, who scored 16, cut SMU's lead to 69-62 with 2:25 remaining then the Mustangs wrapped up the win with five made free throws in six attempts.
Cal was without leading scorer Andrej Stojakovic (hip) for the third straight game and starting center Mady Sissoko (concussion protocol) for the first time this season; Sissoko had started all 20 games prior to Wednesday.
Chuck Harris scored 20 points while Matt Cross had 15 points and 14 rebounds for SMU (16-5, 7-3), which won for the fifth time in six games. B.J. Edwards added 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Cal led 21-17 with 9:50 to go in the first half before the Mustangs ended the frame on a 22-8 run and took a 39-29 advantage into the intermission. The Bears held the high-scoring Mustangs (83.1 points per game) below their season scoring average but were outrebounded 47-36.
Jovan Blacksher Jr. scored 13 while Lee Dort, making his first career start in place of Sissoko, had seven points and seven boards.
UP NEXT
Cal is back in the East Bay this weekend to host Syracuse at 7 p.m. PT Saturday. The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
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 the Cal Men's Basketball Excellence Initiative or the California Legends Collective.