Florida
Cal Plays Without Andrej Stojakovic, but Still Beats Florida State
Cal played without its leading scorer, Andrej Stojakovic, in Wednesday’s home game against Florida State, but Bears freshman Jeremiah Wilkinson had a strong offensive game in his first collegiate start and Rytis Petraitis had a big game on his birthday to propel Cal to a 77-68 victory over the Seminoles.
“We came together and said, ‘We’re going to play this one for him,’ ” Petraitis said regarding the absence of Stojakovic, who averages 18.9 points but sat out Wednesday’s game with the flu.
The Bears’ 24 offensive rebounds, the most by an ACC team this season, was indicative of the extra effort Cal put forth in this one.
“We talk in our locker room about strength in numbers,” Cal coach Mark Madsen said. “Tonight without a great member, Andrej Stojakovic, we had a lot of guys step up.”
Jeremiah Wilkinson took Stojakovic’s place in the starting lineup and scored a team-high 18 points in his first collegiate start.
“He’s out so we know there is a scoring void to fill,” said Wilkinson.
Joshua Ola-Josheph added 14 points off the bench, and Petraitis had a strong all-around game, with 12 points, 13 rebounds and four assists while playing on his birthday.
“It’s a great birthday present,” he said. “I’m 22; I’m getting old.”
Petraitis would never be considered a smooth player. He’s just all over the court, hustling for everything, taking charges and making room under the basket with his rough-and-tumble style. He had eight offensive rebounds.
“I don’t know how he does it,” Madsen said, “but he has a huge heart.”
Petraitis explained that he is copying the way his head coach played while at Stanford.
“I feel that’s the way Madsen played too, so I try to emulate that in a way,” Petraitis said. “He inspires me to play like a dog.”
Cal center Mady Sissoko had 14 points and 13 rebounds, but his biggest contribution came on the defense end, where he blocked five shots.
“Mady’s an absolute warrior,” Madsen said.
Cal (10-9, 3-5 ACC) shot only 37.7% from the field, but the Bears committed just 10 turnovers and outscored Florida State 19-3 from the foul line. And those 24 offensive rebounds had a lot to do with Cal overcoming its mediocre shooting.
“That’s mentality, that’s hustle, and that’s just heart,” Madsen said of the work on the boards.
It’s the second straight win for Cal, which was coming off its first ACC road win, a 65-62 victory at North Carolina State on Saturday.
Cal is hoping Stojakovic will be availble for Saturday’s game against Miami. However, Cal made some big plays in his absence.
Florida State (13-6, 4-4 ACC) held a 51-49 lead with 11:51 left, but a three-pointer by Wilkinson on Cal’s ensuing possession put Cal ahead to stay.
Cal took an eight-point lead at 61-53 when Petraitis made two free throws with 7:32 left in the game, and Petraitis made in a 10-point lead with a follow shot at the 6:38 mark.
Cal increased the margin to 12 points on Jovan Blacksher Jr.’s 8-foot shot with 4:26 to go, and Cal hung on from there. Florida State got as close as 69-63 with 1:22 remaining, but Cal made its free throws in the closing moments to preserve the lead.
Florida State had won two in a row and four of its last five games before Wednesday. But the Seminoles came into Wednesday’s game with a 1-3 record in games played on their opponent’s home court, and their lone road win ACC action came against last-place Miami.
Cal had a strong start to the game, leading by 10 points early in the first half, and holding a 37-33 lead at halftime.
Ola-Joseph led the Bears with 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting in the first half, and Wilkinson added 10 points for Cal, although he was 0-for-5 on three-pointers. The Bears used a 13-0 run early in the game to turn a 6-2 deficit into a 15-6 lead. Cal increased the margin to 10 points with 12:54 left in the first half, but the Seminoles quickly made up the deficit.
Cal held a 35-33 lead before Petraitis’ tip-in at the buzzer gave the Bears a four-point advantage at halftime.
Florida State shot 51.7% from the field in the first half compared with Cal’s 38.5% shooting, but the Bears got 10 more shots than the Seminoles, thanks to Cal’s 15 offensive rebounds while Florida State had just four offensive boards in the first 20 minutes.
NOTES: Despite the win, Cal point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. continued to struggle with his shot. He had just three points on 1-for-11 shooting on Wednesday to go along with two assists and three turnovers. Over his last five games he’s averaging 6.2 points on 11-for-50 shooting (22%).
Cal head coach Mark Madsen announced on Monday that forward BJ Omat will miss the rest of the season with an injury. He played in Bears’ first four games and had two starts before being sidelined.
Cal’s Andrej Stojakovic entered Wednesday’s action averaging 18.9 points, which ranked fourth in the ACC. But he totaled just 16 points in last week’s two road games combined, and he was 0-for-7 on three-pointers in those games against North Carolina and North Carolina State. Cal is hoping he will be available for Saturday’s home game against Miami.
Florida State’s Jamir Watkins entered Wednesday’s game averaging 18.6 points, and he scored 18 points against Cal.
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Florida
Pilot program aims to build $200K homes in Central Florida to help low-income families buy, not rent
ORLANDO, Fla. – For many Central Florida families, the dream of owning a home feels further out of reach than ever.
With the median home price now topping $400,000, a new pilot program in Orlando is trying to change that by building new homes for about half the cost.
A lot off Quill Avenue in Parramore may not look like much right now, but organizers say it could soon be the site of a new home priced around $200,000 for low-income families.
“We just really wanted an opportunity to bring actual affordable housing to people who have basically been forever renters,” said Satrina Whithead with the GXVE Homes Initiative.
The GXVE Homes Initiative says the goal is to help families earning between $16,000 and $65,000 a year get a chance at homeownership. Whithead said the homes could range from 500 to 1,400 square feet, depending on the lot size and location.
The Orlando Regional Realtor Association reports the median home price in the area is now more than $400,000. Whithead said GXVE hopes to sell homes for about half that.
“There’s nothing wrong with profit, but at the end of the day, I want to help where the need is greatest,” Whithead said.
Organizers say they are already planning to build in Parramore and are working to close on two additional properties. They also say they have properties planned in Sanford and Mims, with a goal of bringing eight homes a year to Central Florida.
“You can pay 80 percent of your salary on rent just to have a place to live. So getting that number back down to around 50 percent is extremely important,” said Mike Harris, vice president of GXVE Homes.
Florida Made Tiny Homes, which is partnering with the organization, said it plans to build concrete homes that exceed safety requirements for the area.
“I don’t think there’s going to be anything available on the market in that price range, much less new construction,” said Dylan Grace, co-founder of Florida Made Tiny Homes.
Program organizers say they expect to start construction in the fall and hope to complete the first home within six to eight months after work begins. For more information please click here.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A former Florida juvenile probation officer is facing more than 100 felony charges after investigators said she leaked confidential court and law enforcement information to people tied to a drug trafficking investigation.
Crystal Gaynell Ann Lawson was booked into the Orange County Jail on Thursday, according to Orange County Corrections records.
Investigators said Lawson improperly accessed the Comprehensive Case Information System, or CCIS, more than 100 times and shared information from active criminal cases with members of a drug trafficking organization.
FOX 35 Orlando reported Lawson was arrested on 113 felony counts of computer crimes for unauthorized access. Investigators said she allegedly accessed the database 106 times between January and May.
Lawson is accused of using the database to search for active criminal cases tied to members of the organization. Authorities said some of the information that was leaked included arrest warrants and documents connected to an active investigation.
Lawson was hired by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice in February 2022. As part of that job, she was given access to the CCIS database. Authorities said she was fired later that year after an arrest, but her database access was not terminated.
See also: ‘Elf,’ ‘Couples Retreat’ actor jailed with no bond after Florida arrest
Investigators said the leaks resulted in lost evidence, unrecovered assets and at least one person fleeing to avoid arrest before later being taken into custody.
Lawson previously worked for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, where she had access to the court information system as part of her job. Authorities said she was later fired, but her database access was not terminated.
Orange County Corrections records list Lawson’s case status as “presentenced” and show multiple entries for “offense against computer users.”
The records list the arresting agency as the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and show bond amounts of $10,000 on several listed case sequences. The jail record also notes an “ICJIS Affidavit.”
ORLANDO, Fla. – Strong thunderstorms continue to push across Central Florida Thursday evening, with a few storms capable of producing gusty winds, frequent lightning, torrential rainfall and isolated damage before activity gradually winds down later tonight.
The strongest storms are expected through about 10 p.m., with most of the activity weakening and moving offshore by around 11 p.m. Storms are being fueled by sea breeze collisions and abundant moisture across the state. In addition to strong wind gusts, torrential downpours could lead to ponding of water on roads and minor flooding in low-lying and poor-drainage areas.
While storms remain the immediate concern this evening, another round of impactful weather is expected Friday.
The News 6 Weather Team has designated Friday as a Weather Aware Day due to the combination of dangerous heat and the threat for strong to severe thunderstorms.
Before storms develop, temperatures will climb into the low to mid-90s Friday afternoon. Combined with high humidity, it will feel more like 102 to 107 degrees across much of Central Florida. Some locations could once again approach or exceed Heat Advisory criteria.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon and evening hours. The atmosphere will be loaded with tropical moisture, allowing storms to produce frequent lightning, damaging wind gusts, and torrential rainfall.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed all of Central Florida under a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather Friday. While widespread severe weather is not expected, a few storms could become strong enough to produce damaging winds.
In addition, the Weather Prediction Center has highlighted portions of Central Florida for a Level 1 out of 4 risk of excessive rainfall. Any storm will be capable of producing very heavy rain in a short amount of time, which could lead to localized flooding.
The unsettled pattern continues into the weekend. Storm coverage is expected to increase Saturday, and some locations could see multiple rounds of heavy rain. While a few stronger storms remain possible, the flooding threat may become a greater concern by Saturday afternoon and evening.
Looking ahead to next week, rain chances are expected to gradually decrease, but the heat is not going anywhere. High temperatures will remain in the low to mid-90s, with heat index values frequently climbing above 100 degrees. Forecast guidance suggests a higher heat risk could develop once again across Central Florida as we head deeper into next week.
At the beaches, a moderate risk of rip currents continues. Make sure you swim near a lifeguard if you’re heading to the beach.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
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