California Golden Bears center Mady Sissoko is currently battling through the ACC tournament.

He is also fasting from sunrise to sunset for Ramadan, meaning that Sissoko is often taking the court on an empty stomach.

When Tuesday’s game against Virginia Tech went into a second overtime, it’s likely that many Cal players and fans were both physically and emotionally exhausted, as their game last week against Notre Dame had gone into four overtimes.

But for Sissoko, the game’s continuation meant that he would be able to fuel up and hydrate a bit. Cameras caught the moment Sissoko broke his fast, with the commentary team commending him on both his performance and his commitment.

Sissoko finished the game with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and the Golden Bears went on to win 82–73.

After the game, Cal head coach Mark Madsen shared how impressed he was with Sissoko.

“Mady lives his life in strict accordance with the Islamic faith, and he’s very faithful. He’s very detailed with his fast. We are supporting him 100%,” Madsen said.

“As he dials in on the spiritual and emotional side, it’s almost like his game continues to take off and take off. I don’t know how he does it. Everyone else on the court gets tired, and his energy just increases and increases and increases. It shows his discipline, his will, who he is as a person, and how great of a basketball player Mady Sissoko is.”

Sissoko and Cal will be back in action for the second round of the ACC tournament on Wednesday night, facing off against Stanford. That game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET, and with sunset set for just before the opening jump, Sissoko thankfully won’t have to wait until double overtime to fuel up.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cal Basketball Player Able to Break Ramadan Fast Mid-Game Thanks to Double Overtime.