Wilkinson scores 18 points and Cal defeats Florida State 77-68
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 18 points, Mady Sissoko and Rytis Petraitis had double-doubles and California defeated Florida State 77-68 on Wednesday night.
Sissoko had 14 points and 13 rebounds and Petraitis added 12 points and 13 rebounds for Cal (10-9, 3-5 ACC). Reserve forward Joshua Ola-Joseph scored 14 points and DJ Campbell added 11.
A dunk by Sissoko gave Cal a 69-59 lead with three minutes remaining before Daquan Davis and Jamir Watkins scored in the paint to get Florida State within six points with 1:20 remaining. The Golden Bears then closed out the win, going 8 for 8 from the free-throw line.
Earlier in the second half, a dunk by Jerry Deng gave the Seminoles a 51-49 lead with about 12 minutes remaining but the Seminoles were held to eight points in the next nine minutes, at one point missing 11 shots in a row. Cal scored 18 points during FSU's cold stretch and the Golden Bears led 67-55 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining.
All five starters scored in the first seven minutes for the Golden Bears and their 13-0 run gave them a lead of 15-6. Florida State eventually took a 29-27 lead with about four minutes left in the half before Cal finished with a 10-4 run and a 37-33 lead at the break. The Bears shot only 39% but had advantages of 25-15 on the glass and 13-6 in points after turnovers.
Watkins had 18 points, Malique Ewin 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Deng 11 points for FSU (13-6, 4-4).
The Golden Bears, who began a stretch of five home games in their next six games, host Miami on Saturday.
The Seminoles complete their Bay Area trip at Stanford, also on Saturday.
___ 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
2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Projections: Michigan, BYU Rising; Iowa State Slides
Last Night in College Basketball: No. 1 UConn Has Crushed Its Big East Challengers
Top 25 college athletes with highest NIL valuations
College Basketball Games of the Week: Iowa, IU Meet in Big Ten New Coaches Battle
Top 10 men's college basketball players with highest NIL valuations
No. 1 Arizona Wildcats Dominating with Size and Physicality Under Tommy Lloyd
No. 3 UConn Narrowly Fends Off Georgetown, 64-62, for 14th Consecutive Win
Tom Izzo: 'It'll Be a Cold Day in Hell Before I Give Up on Coen Carr'
2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Projections: Nebraska Jumps to No. 1 Seed, Michigan Falls
2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Projections: Michigan, BYU Rising; Iowa State Slides
Last Night in College Basketball: No. 1 UConn Has Crushed Its Big East Challengers
Top 25 college athletes with highest NIL valuations
College Basketball Games of the Week: Iowa, IU Meet in Big Ten New Coaches Battle
Top 10 men's college basketball players with highest NIL valuations
No. 1 Arizona Wildcats Dominating with Size and Physicality Under Tommy Lloyd
No. 3 UConn Narrowly Fends Off Georgetown, 64-62, for 14th Consecutive Win
Tom Izzo: 'It'll Be a Cold Day in Hell Before I Give Up on Coen Carr'
2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Projections: Nebraska Jumps to No. 1 Seed, Michigan Falls
