Cal Bears forward Joshua Ola-Joseph (1) throws down against the Mercyhurst Lakers at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Nov 27, 2024 (Cal Bears X photo)
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024
Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California
Mercyhurst Lakers 55 (4-4)
California Golden Bears 81 (6-1)
By Stephen Ruderman
Jeremiah Wilkinson had another big night, as he scored 25 points and led the Bears to an 81-55 shellacking of the Mercyhurst Lakers, and the Bears are now off to their best start in eight years.
After winning the first two games of this homestand, the Bears welcomed the Mercyhurst Lakers to Haas Pavilion for a Thanksgiving Eve affair. For those wondering, Mercyhurst University is located in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the Lakers are a Division I team from the Northeast Conference.
Mady Sissoko started the night with a dunk to give the Bears a 2-0 lead out of the gate. The Lakers are not a well-known team, but they made some noise early on. Aidan Reichert hit a jumper, and Max Jusianiec made a layup to give Mercyhurst a 4-2 lead. Shemar Rathan-Mayes was then fouled and hit both from the line to make it 6-2.
Jeremiah Wilkinson made his mark with his 23-point performance against Air Force last Thursday, and he scored another 16 points against Sacramento State on Sunday. Wilkinson checked in, and got his night started by hitting one of two from the line after being fouled to make it 6-5. Wilkinson then hit a three to put Cal back ahead 8-6.
From there, the Bears took complete control. Cal went into the half up 41-23, and then won after an uneventful second half by a final of 81-55.
Wilkinson had his best night yet, scoring points. He was 9-for-12 in field goals, and 6-for-8 from beyond the arc.
Andrej Stojakovic scored 15 points, though he continued to struggle, as he was just 5-for-12 in field goals. Joshua Ola-Joseph scored 13, going 5-for-7 in field goals.
The Bears are now off to a 6-1 start, their best in eight years. They will be off for the next five days, and then they will head to Columbia, Missouri to play the Missouri next Tuesday. Tipoff will be at 6 p.m. in Columbia, 4 p.m. back home in Berkeley.
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