Andrej Stojakovic scored 20 points and Jovan Blacksher Jr. added 19, while Joshua Ola-Joseph made several key plays in the closing minutes, leading California to a 71-66 victory over Southern California on Sunday night. This matchup marked the first meeting between the two former conference rivals since the dissolution of the Pac-12.
Now competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Cal improved to 3-1, while USC, a member of the Big Ten, also holds a 3-1 record. The Golden Bears have now defeated the Trojans in back-to-back games after enduring a 10-game losing streak against them. Cal leads the all-time series 138-134.
USC briefly took a 64-63 lead with 6:30 remaining, thanks to a jumper from Desmond Claude and consecutive baskets from Saint Thomas. However, the Trojans struggled to find their rhythm, hitting just 1 of 10 shots from the field in the final minutes. Cal capitalized on this, scoring eight of the last 10 points in the game.
A pivotal 3-pointer from BJ Omot with 4:54 left gave Cal a four-point edge, and Ola-Joseph contributed a layup to extend the lead with 1:51 remaining. Ola-Joseph, who finished with six points, seven rebounds, and a steal, made significant contributions in the final moments, including an offensive rebound that set up Stojakovic for two crucial free throws with 21 seconds left. He also blocked a shot by Claude to secure the win.
For USC, Claude, a 6-foot-6 transfer from Xavier, scored 13 of his 20 points in the first half, while Thomas added 15 points. Wesley Yates III rounded out his scoring with all 10 of his points before halftime.
This victory marked California’s first nonconference road win since defeating Seattle 81-59 on December 19, 2017. The first half was tightly contested, featuring nine ties and 10 lead changes. Blacksher’s 3-pointer at the buzzer cut Cal’s halftime deficit to 43-42, as he finished the first half with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. DJ Campbell also played a key role, hitting a jumper and assisting Stojakovic during an 11-2 run that gave the Bears a six-point lead with 15:37 left in the game.
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