MERCED, Calif. - On Community Night presented by Merced Mall, junior guard Mia Belvin scored a game-high 25 points to guide the University of California, Merced women's basketball team past Benedictine University at Mesa, 80-69.
The (RV) Bobcats (15-3, 3-0) win extended their program-long winning streak to nine games.
Under head coach Sarah Hopkins-Chery, the Bobcats led for the game's final 35 minutes and led by as many as 17 points early in the fourth quarter.
Belvin's 25 point affair came on an efficient 61% (8-13) from the floor. She also added a game-high nine rebounds and four steals to inch closer to becoming the first player in the California Pacific Conference this season to notch 50 steals.
Redshirt freshman Cierra McClain added 13 points, including a triple midway through the first quarter that broke a 6-6 tie and put the Bobcats on top for the rest of the night.
Joining Belvin and McClain in double figures was Shelby Bohlmann, who set a new career-high with ten points off the bench.
Mia Shannon and Rainah Smith tabbed nine point efforts, while Aubrey Hayes tallied eight points and hit a three-point field goal for the fourth straight game.
Also playing a big role in the win was sophomore Alyssa Ono. Ono checked in towards the end of the first quarter and delivered three assists in a minute and a half span to help guide the Bobcats to their first double figure lead of the night at 22-11. Ono set up three different players during the stretch, including Mia Shannon who drained her second career triple from the top of arc.
An 8-0 run early in the second quarter put the Bobcats up 32-17. A few possessions later, Shannon gave the Bobcats their largest first half advantage when she ran the floor and was the recipient of an Ono steal and outlet pass.
The lead was trimmed to seven points at intermission, but McClain opened up the second half with a triple to push the Bobcats lead back up to ten at 43-33. McClain's three-point field goal was one of three triples the Bobcats cashed in on in the third quarter. A Hayes triple had the Bobcats up 50-37 with 4:45 left in the quarter and Belvin sunk a shot of her own from downtown to carry 57-42 lead into the final period.
The biggest lead of the night was 17 points, coming with 7:43 left in the game after a Rainah Smith basket inside the paint. Smith ended up scoring eight points in the quarter and made the Bobcats final field goal with 1:53 left in the game.
Smith's field goal marked the last for the Bobcats due to the fact that they were sent to the free throw line the rest of the game. The Bobcats shot 16 free throws in the last 90 seconds, making 12.
Overall, the Bobcats shot 43% (26-60) from the field, 46% (12-26) from beyond the arc and 69% (16-23) at the charity stripe.
Other notables include seven rebounds and three blocks from Mia Shannon. McClain and Smith each had four assists.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats travel to Vallejo, Calif., to take on Cal Maritime Academy on Thursday, January 10, at 5:30pm.
