Cal Tops Miami 98-94 in OT, Stretches Win Streak to Three Games

This was one the Cal men’s basketball team was supposed to win. Visiting Miami had prevailed in just one of its previous 16 games and most of them were not close.

Well, the Bears did win . . . but, man, it was not easy.

Cal won its third straight Atlantic Coast Conference game, using season bests of 30 points from freshman Jeremiah Wilkinson and 22 from DJ Campbell to escape Haas Pavilion with a 98-94 overtime triumph.

Coach Mark Madsen was so happy he took the mic and addressed the crowd of 5,169 afterward, thanking them for their support on a night when the Bears missed opportunities to close out the Canes but also delivered big plays when it mattered.

“I just want to thank all the students who packed the house tonight, I want to thank the professors and faculty . . . everyone who came to the game,” Madsen said. “This Cal team is a great basketball team and I’m proud of them and it was just great to see so many people in the house tonight.”

Wilkinson, right, and Campbell talk in the video below about how the Bears are not satisified to have won three in a row.

“It feels good,” Wilkinson said of the Bears (11-9, 4-5 ACC) winning three in a row. “That doesn’t mean we stop here. We’ve got to keep winning keep moving up in the ACC. Winning is always the goal.”

Wilkinson scored 18 points in the second half but when he missed a second of two free throws with 7.1 seconds left in regulation Miami got one last chance. Matthew Cleveland cashed it in, drilling a 3-pointer from the left wing with 1 second left to force overtime.

Madsen said the Bears were trying to foul before anyone could hoist a 3-pointer, but also were wary of potentially giving up a four-point play.

Wilkinson said the last-second 3-pointer by the Hurricanes didn’t rattle the Bears.

“They’re a desperate team — they’re looking for ways to win games. They’re going to play hard,” Wilkinson said. “But it’s a new game. Don’t let this get us out of our game. It’s still our game to win.”

The Bears never trailed in the extra period, and twice led by eight points in the final minute only to see the Canes (4-16, 0-9) scramble back twice, thanks to 3-point baskets by A.J. Staton-McCray with 16 seconds left and again with 7.2 remaining.

Two free throws by Wilkinson with 6.5 seconds left made it 97-92, giving the Bears some wiggle room when Cleveland scored on a drive to the basket with 2.3 seconds left, giving him 30 points.

Mady Sissoko made the first of two free throws with 0.8 seconds left, icing the win for Cal.

DJ Campbell celebrates a big moment. | Photo by Al Sermeno

The Bears missed four free throws in overtime, but Campbell was 7 for 8 in the extra period, scoring nine points to go with a huge steal when the game was very much up for grabs.

The junior guard finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and no turnovers in more than 38 minutes on the floor.

Wilkinson shot just 1 for 10 from the 3-point arc, but the southpaw was 9 for 12 on everything else — many of them aggressive drives to his left that Miami seemed unable to defend. He also was 9 for 10 at the foul line and had just one turnover in more than 39 minutes while serving as the primary ballhandler.

Madsen had praise for both players.

“DJ Campbell is almost like that 10-year NBA vet that just is steady and solid and knows exactly what to do in every scenario,” Madsen said. “He’s physical. We watch the film and I tell the guys a lot of times it just looks like DJ’s playing hard than anyone else on the court. He was just phenomenal.”

Madsen was equally pleased with Wilkinson. “Made huge plays,” Madsen said. “Jeremiah’s a freshman . . . to be starting and leading us in minutes on a night like tonight, I’m incredibly pleased with Jeremiah’s progress.”

Cal won despite playing for the second straight game without top scorer Andrej Stojakovic. He missed Wednesday’s win over Florida State due to illness and sat out Saturday with a hip ailment.

Madsen said there’s no timetable on when Stojakovic could return.

“Everyone’s rallied around Andrej,” Madsen said. “He was out tonight with a hip injury that we’re hopeful progresses pretty quickly. Probably be out a little while, but hopeful very soon for his return.”

The Bears play Wednesday vs. SMU (15-5, 6-3) in Dallas before returning home for three consecutive games at Haas.