Cal got a chance at Wake before entering the ACC Tournament.

Cal can’t afford to miss out on Saturday’s opportunity.

The Golden Bears have work to do when they visit Wake Forest for the regular season finale in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Cal (21-9, 9-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won four of its last five games as it tries to remain in the NCAA Tournament conversation. The Bears, who are tied for 8th place in the ACC, are one win away from their most regular season wins since the 2015-16 season. Not coincidentally, that was the last time Cal participated in the NCAA Tournament.

Wake Forest (15-15, 6-11) lost 75-70 to No. 13 Virginia on Tuesday night, marking the Demon Deacons’ third loss in four games.

“I’ve been impressed with our team’s resilience all year,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said. “Except for a few times, we played from the front.”

Wake Forest guard Zuke Harris has 20 points in 16 games this season. He hasn’t been the Demon Deacons’ leading scorer in the last two games, but he is third in the ACC in scoring at 21.4 points per game. Myles Colvin poured in 32 points as Wake beat Syracuse on Feb. 28, and Mekhi Mason had 26 points for Virginia.

Wake Forest would have a No. 13 or 14 seed in the ACC Tournament, which would mean a first-round game on Tuesday. The Demon Deacons have won their last three home games after dropping four straight.

Cal has won three of its last four road assignments, with the exception coming in double overtime on Feb. 11 at Syracuse. Senior Lee Dort scored a career-high 16 points in the Bears’ 76-65 win at Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

One of the keys for Cal was to push the ball inside and get 42 points in the paint.

“Our guys did a really good job of attacking the rim and getting in there,” Cal coach Mark Madsen said.

Dai Dai Ames leads the Bears in scoring for the second straight game. He scored a team-high 16.4 points per game.

After Saturday’s game, the Bears will remain in North Carolina for the ACC Tournament in Charlotte.

–Field level media