Jovan Blacksher Jr. scored a team-high 17 factors in his return to the Bay Space, Stanford switch Andrej Stojakovic had 16 and California, that includes 10 new gamers, dealt with Cal State Bakersfield 86-73 in a non-conference males’s basketball opener Monday night time in Berkeley, Calif.
BJ Omot chipped in with 13 factors, DJ Campbell scored 12 and Mady Sissoko had 10 of their debuts for Cal, serving to the Golden Bears take step one towards bettering from final season’s 13-19 end.
Jemel Jones had a game-high 22 factors off the bench for Bakersfield, which additionally went 13-19 a yr in the past.
A prized recruit from the Sacramento space who selected Stanford over Cal a yr in the past, Stojakovic thrilled his new followers with a 3-pointer on his first shot for the Golden Bears simply 15 seconds into the sport.
The Roadrunners stored the sport shut for greater than 16 minutes, utilizing a dunk from Fidelis Okereke to shut the hole to 32-26 late within the first half.
However Cal went into the break on a 14-2 run. Blacksher, an Oakland native who performed 5 seasons at Grand Canyon, had two 3-pointers and a layup in the course of the surge.
Bakersfield received no nearer than seven within the second half.
Blacksher had three 3-pointers and a team-high 4 assists for Cal, which went 3-29 in 2022-23 earlier than its 10-win enchancment in Madsen’s first season on the helm final yr.
Campbell chipped in with three steals for the Golden Bears, whereas Stojakovic and Sissoko joined Lee Dort with a team-high-tying six rebounds. Stojakovic additionally made all 9 of his free-throw makes an attempt.
Cal received regardless of capturing simply 42.1 p.c. Jones went 9-for-16 for the Roadrunners, who outshot the hosts by making 43.5 p.c of their photographs.
A junior-college switch from Chicago, Jones additionally logged 5 rebounds, a team-high 4 assists and two steals for the guests. Corey Stephenson and Marvin McGhee III backed him with 17 and 13 factors, respectively, whereas Shakir Odunewu complemented his game-high 10 rebounds with 9 factors.
-Subject Degree Media
