FRESNO, Calif. - Junior guard Mia Belvin became the third player in program history to score 1,000 career points and two Bobcats recorded doube-double's but it wasn't enough as the Bobcats failed to beat NCAA DII opponent Fresno Pacific University on Monday afternoon at the Special Events Center, 83-74.
Belvin's milestone came in the fourth quarter, where she scored seven of her team-high 18 points to bring the Bobcats within four with three and a half minutes left. Belvin joins Shelby Howard (2012-16) and Christina Castro (2014-18) in the 1,000 point club and is now 96 points away from moving into second all-time on the program's scoring list. Belvin, who set the Bobcats single-season scoring record last season, has scored in double figures in eight of nine games this season, including two 20 point efforts.
The Bobcats (6-3) couldn't cut the deficit to one possession in the final three minutes as Fresno Pacific made seven of nine free throws to secure their nine point win.
Despite the setback, Rainah Smith had a career-outing with 17 points and 13 rebounds to notch her second straight double-double. Eight of the freshman's rebounds were offensive and she was able to score on four of them, resulting in eight points. Overall, the Bobcats scored 17 second chance points off 20 offensive rebounds.
Smith's counterpart inside, Mia Shannon, also registered a double-double with ten points and a season-high ten rebounds. In the first quarter alone, Shannon had six points and eight rebounds to help the Bobcats jump out to a 19-8 lead seven minutes into the game. The lead grew to 24-12 via a triple from Aubrey Hayes and a bucket inside from Alyssa Ono but the advantage would diminish slowly and was erased towards the end of the half.
Though, Ono and Belvin scored in the closing minute before intermission to carry a 41-38 lead into the locker rooms.
The last Bobcats lead was 45-44 two and a half minutes into the third quarter. Belvin tied the game up at 57-57 later on, however Fresno Pacific responded with a 6-0 run to create separation for the rest of the game.
Defensively, the Bobcats held Fresno Pacific under 40% from the field and forced the opponent into 17 turnovers. Belvin accounted for four of the Bobcats seven steals and the Long Beach, Calif., native is now five steals away from becoming the program's all-time steals leader.
Belvin also filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds and four assists.
Other notables include 14 points and five assists from Deja Jackson, eight points and seven rebounds from Hayes and seven points and a steal from Ono.
Up next, the Bobcats open December with a home game against Bethesda University of California. Tipoff inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium is scheduled for 4:00pm on Saturday, December 1.
