The California Golden Bears showed grit and resilience in their ACC Tournament debut, rallying to defeat Virginia Tech 82-73 in double overtime in Tuesday’s first-round matchup. Behind a stellar 29-point performance from Andrej Stojakovic and double-doubles from Mady Sissoko and Rytis Petraitis, the 15th-seeded Golden Bears (14-18) secured their first-ever ACC Tournament win and advanced to face No. 7 seed Stanford in Wednesday’s second round, setting up a battle between former Pac-12 rivals.
The victory comes just days after Cal endured a grueling 112-110 four-overtime loss at Notre Dame in its regular-season finale. This time, the Bears flipped the script in another marathon contest, using a late surge in double overtime to put away the 10th-seeded Hokies (13-19).
Cal’s resilience was on full display after trailing by four in the first overtime. Petraitis delivered a crucial sequence, sinking two free throws and converting a layup to tie the game at 65 with 1:40 remaining. Stojakovic then calmly knocked down two free throws in the closing seconds to force a second overtime at 67-67.
Once in double OT, the Golden Bears seized control. Sissoko powered inside for the first two baskets, and Stojakovic capped an 8-0 run that proved to be the decisive stretch. Cal locked down defensively, holding Virginia Tech to just six points in the second overtime period to seal the win.
Stojakovic was the clear offensive leader, finishing 11-of-20 from the field, including three three-pointers. Petraitis added 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Sissoko posted 12 points and 10 boards. DJ Campbell, despite going without a field goal, made his presence felt at the free-throw line, converting 10 of 12 attempts.
Virginia Tech was led by Brandon Rechsteiner, who scored 19 points off the bench. Tobi Lawal contributed a strong double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Jaydon Young had 12 points despite a rough shooting night, missing all 11 of his three-point attempts.
Cal controlled much of the second half, but the Hokies fought back late. Rechsteiner drilled a clutch three-pointer with 27 seconds remaining in regulation, snapping Virginia Tech’s streak of eight consecutive missed threes and giving the Hokies their first lead of the second half at 60-59. However, Campbell drew a foul with five seconds left and made the second of two free throws to extend the game into overtime.
It marked the first double-overtime game in the first round of the ACC Tournament since Wake Forest edged Georgia Tech 114-112 in 2007.
Cal’s reward for the thrilling win is a second-round showdown with Stanford. The former Pac-12 foes will meet in the ACC Tournament for the first time, adding another chapter to their long-standing rivalry. With both teams eyeing a deep tournament run, expect another hard-fought battle on Wednesday.
