MERCED, Calif. - The University of California, Merced men's basketball team is off to a 4-0 start for the second straight year after taking out 2019 NAIA National Tournament qualifier William Jessup University, 69-65 Monday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
The Bobcats (4-0) remain undefeated while putting an end to the Warriors undefeated season. William Jessup entered the contest 4-0 and were beating teams by an average of 20 points per game.
In a game that featured 18 lead changes, seven in the final five and a half minutes, senior guard Ryan Haywood led all scorers with a season-high 18 points on 70% (7-10) shooting. Haywood was 100% (2-2) from beyond the arc and 100% (2-2) at the charity stripe. The returning unanimous All-Cal Pac first team selection also had a game-high six assists.
Haywood's most notable assist came on the games final bucket, a Jonah Cottrell triple that put UC Merced up four (69-65) with 13 seconds left. With the shot clock running down, Haywood drove to his left and found the open Cottrell in the corner near the Bobcats bench.
Raphael Durr added 15 points and a steal, while Kinglsey Obiorah was good for six points and a game-high eleven rebounds. Obiorah has grabbed 10+ rebounds in all four games this year. Chiwike E'denchukwu pitched in nine points. Cottrell finished with eight points and two assists.
The battle of two undefeated teams started with an Obiorah putback and the Bobcats led 9-4 less than four minutes in.
A second Obiorah putback had the Bobcats up 16-9 with 12:22 to go. The sophomores bucket was followed by a flurry of triples, including one from Cottrell to make it 19-12.
The Warriors bench followed with back-to-back triples to come within a point at 19-18. Soon after, the two teams were tied at 24.
The Bobcats final lead of the half was 28-27 at the 3:30 mark. Head coach Kevin Pham's team would trail 34-30 after a 7-2 Warrior run leading to intermission. It was nearly 34-28 but Haywood buried a contested elbow jumper as time expired.
Both teams made 13 field goals in the first half but the difference was William Jessup knocked down a free throw and three more triples than the Bobcats did.
Out of the break, William Jessup quickly built their lead to a game-high seven points at 39-32. An acrobatic Durr three-point play cut into the deficit and after a Warrior bucket inside that made it 41-35, the Bobcats got triples out of Haywood and Seth Cobb to pull even at 41 with 14:58 on the clock.
The Bobcats began to regain momentum the next five minutes and had the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium ecstatic after a highlight reel dunk by Chiwike E'denchukwu. E'denchuwku's dunk turned into a three-point play as he converted the free throw he was rewarded after being hit by Warriors center Sam Howlin.
Durr followed with a field goal and then an E'denchukwu baseline jumper put the Bobcats up 54-49 with 9:38 to play.
However, the Warriors went on a 7-0 run over the next four and a half minutes to take a 56-54 lead with 5:21 to go. Haywood was fouled the next trip down the floor and made both foul shots to get back even at 56.
The game was also tied at 61-61 and 63-63. The Bobcats held William Jessup without a field goal the rest of the way, but did trail 64-63 after an Isaiah Milton make from the charity stripe with 2:43 left. Haywood grabbed Milton's miss on his second foul shot and on the other end of the floor, found Westlake in the corner for three.
Up 66-64, the Bobcats got two straight stops but were unable to grab a rebound and eventually put the Warriors at the foul line with 63 seconds remaining. The Warriors Erik Kinnebrew only made the second attempt, the final William Jessup point in the game.
Cottrell's triple 40 seconds later finalized the game at 69-65.
Overall, the Bobcats shot a season-best 46% (27-59) from the floor, 39% (9-23) from downtown and 75% (6-8) from the foul line.
Haywood, Durr and E'denchukwu all took at least six shots and shot 50% or better.
Other notables include five points from Andrew Williams and a steal from Mason Johnson.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats visit 2019 NAIA Runner-Up and second-ranked Oregon Tech on Friday, November 15 as part of the Lithia - Oregon Tech Classic. The jump is scheduled for 7:30pm on Danny Miles Court.
