"I know that first sip felt amazing": College hoops fans react to Cal's Mady Sissoko breaking Ramadan fast during 2OT win

California Golden Bears center Mady Sissoko is observing the Ramadan fast while playing actively in the ACC Tournament. On Tuesday, he was captured on camera breaking his fast, which got college basketball fans on the internet talking.

No. 15 Cal battled No. 10 Virginia Tech in the first round of the conference tournament, and it was a thrilling game that was eventually settled after two overtime periods, which meant that Sissoko was still on the court when he was permitted to break his fast. Cameras caught the center taking his first sip during a team huddle, and this clip was posted on Instagram by the ACC Network.

“I know that first sip felt amazing,” a fan wrote

“Not eating is easy, but playing basketball without drinking water is insanely tough,” another fan wrote

“Mashallah may Allah strengthen him even more during this time”, former NBA player Kenneth Faried wrote.

College hoops fans react to Cal's Mady Sissoko breaking Ramadan fast during 2OT win (Image via Instagram/@accnetwork)

“Mashallah may Allah give him the success to keep growing”, one Instagram user wrote.

“Made a quick dua too,” a fan pointed out.

College hoops fans react to Cal's Mady Sissoko breaking Ramadan fast during 2OT win (Image via Instagram/@accnetwork)

Mady Sissoko earns praise from Golden Bears head coach

Golden Bears center Mady Sissoko received high praise for his performance from Cal head coach Mark Madsen. Madsen spoke about Sissoko’s impressive qualities, particularly his discipline and willpower.

“Mady lives his life in strict accordance with the Islamic faith, and he's very faithful," Madsen told the media after the game. "He is very detailed with his fast, and we are supporting him 100%. 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 but everyone else on the court gets tired, and his energy just increases, increases, increases," he added. "It shows his discipline, his will, who he is as a person and how great of a basketball player Maddy Sissoko is."

Sissoko is averaging 8.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this season while shooting 64.3% from the field. He recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double in the ACC Tournament first-round game on Tuesday.