Virginia Faces Cal in Late-Night Basketball Showdown

The Virginia Cavaliers (8-6, 1-2 ACC) are set to take on the California Golden Bears (7-7, 0-3 ACC) in a late-night basketball matchup at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, California. The game, scheduled for an 11:00 PM ET tipoff on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Virginia enters the game with a 2-0 all-time record against Cal, with their last meeting resulting in a 56-52 victory for the Cavaliers on December 21, 2016. In that game, Kyle Guy led Virginia with 17 points, while London Perrantes added 14. The Cavaliers’ defense held Cal to 35.3% shooting, and they committed just seven turnovers.

Cal, on the other hand, is looking to bounce back from a slow start in the ACC. The Golden Bears are led by Javon Blackshear Jr., who opened the scoring in their last game with a three-pointer. Virginia’s starting lineup includes Andrew Rohde, Isaac McKneely, Taine Murray, Elijah Saunders, and Jacob Cofie, while Cal counters with Andrej Stojakovic, DJ Campbell, Jovan Blacksher Jr., Rytis Petraitis, and Mady Sissoko.

The game is expected to be a tight contest, with Cal favored by 4.5 points. Fans can follow live updates on Twitter and through the ESPN app, with postgame analysis and reactions available on Streaking the Lawn and other Virginia sports outlets.