Halftime Report
After a tough loss on the road their last time out, California looks much better today on their home court. A win is still up for grabs for either team after one quarter, but California is up 35-32 over Virginia.
California entered the game with three straight defeats and they’re well on their way to making it four. Can they turn things around, or will Virginia hand them another loss? Only time will tell.
Who’s Playing
Virginia Cavaliers @ California Golden Bears
Current Records: Virginia 8-6, California 7-7
How To Watch
What to Know
Virginia has enjoyed the comforts of home their last five games, but now they’ll head out on the road. They and the California Golden Bears will face off in an ACC battle at 11:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Haas Pavilion. The Cavaliers’ defense has only allowed 61.5 points per game this season, so the Golden Bears’ offense will have their work cut out for them.
Virginia will head into Saturday’s match out to bounce back: they won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Saturday. They wound up on the wrong side of a painful 70-50 walloping at the hands of Louisville. For those keeping track at home, that’s the biggest loss the Cavaliers have suffered since November 22, 2024.
Despite their defeat, Virginia saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Andrew Rohde, who scored 16 points plus three steals, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Isaac McKneely, who earned 13 points.
Meanwhile, California’s recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their third straight loss. They fell 80-68 to Clemson. That’s two games in a row now that the Golden Bears have lost by exactly 12 points.
Andrej Stojakovic put forth a good effort for the losing side as he went 11 for 15 en route to 30 points.
California struggled to work together and finished the game with only six assists. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Clemson posted 18.
Virginia’s defeat dropped their record down to 8-6. As for California, their loss dropped their record down to 7-7.
Virginia is hoping to beat the odds on Wednesday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss.
Virginia didn’t have too much breathing room in their matchup against California when the teams last played back in December of 2016, but they still walked away with a 56-52 win. Will Virginia repeat their success, or does California have a better game plan this time around? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
California is a 4.5-point favorite against Virginia, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 4.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 130.5 points.
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Series History
Virginia has won both of the games they’ve played against California in the last 10 years.
- Dec 21, 2016 – Virginia 56 vs. California 52
- Dec 22, 2015 – Virginia 63 vs. California 62
