KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Behind Haylee Owen's career-high 20 point effort, the University of California, Merced women's basketball team overcame a ten-point third quarter deficit to beat No. 21 Oregon Tech in its first of two games at the Lithia - Oregon Tech Classic, 63-57 Friday night on historic Danny Miles Court.
The Bobcats (3-2) win marked the second straight when trailing by double figures. UC Merced has also won two straight regular season contests against Top-25 opponents dating back to the 2018-19 campaign.
Haylee Owen also tied her career-high with five steals and added four assists in the Bobcats first road win of the year. Senior Mia Belvin finished with 16 points and a season-high six steals. Belvin is now 15 points away from becoming the program's all-time scoring leader. Shelby Howard (2012-15) is currently the career record holder with 1,433 points.
Sophomore Marisse Jackson once again neared a double-double with eight points and a career-high eleven rebounds while shooting 57% (4-7) from the floor. Seven of Jackson's eleven boards were on the offensive glass to sustain her 4+ offensive rebounds per game average which is among the best in the NAIA.
Shelby Bohlmann and Rainah Smith each added six points, while Deyliana Lewis was good for four rebounds and a career-high three assists.
The first quarter featured six lead changes and the back and forth action started when Owen buried a triple off a feed from Lewis to go up 9-7. The three-point make was the result of a turnover, one of nine the Bobcats forced the Owls into during the first ten minutes. The Bobcats next two leads also came via triples, one from Belvin to go up 12-11 and one from Cierra McClain to take a 15-14 lead. Oregon Tech's leading scorer, Courtney Clemmer, hit a jumper on the other end of the floor for the sixth and final lead change of the opening frame.
Mia Belvin managed to get to the charity stripe with 56 ticks left and sunk one of two shots to even the score at 16. The 16-16 count at the quarters close was the third time since the start of the 2018-19 season that the Bobcats were tied at the end of one. The Bobcats are 3-0 in such games, defeating both La Sierra and College of Idaho on Hostetler Court last year.
The second quarter wasn't as pleasant for the Bobcats as they were outscored 17-7 and trailed by double figures at the half. UC Merced's lone lead in the period was 19-18 after a Belvin triple. Oregon Tech followed with a 9-0 run and led 27-19 with 4:19 on the second quarter clock.
Rainah Smith cut the deficit to two possessions a shot clock later but the Bobcats were down 31-21 soon after with just under three minutes to go until intermission. Soana Afu sunk a pair of free throws, while Oregon Tech's Kylie Meadows got a bucket inside to conclude the first half scoring at 33-23.
Head coach Sarah Hopkins-Chery's team battled back out of the break by scoring on three straight possessions. Afu started a 6-0 run with a free throw make, while Bohlmann followed with a triple and Belvin got inside for an easy deuce. Belvin's layup had the Bobcats within four at 33-29.
However, the Bobcats found themselves down once again by ten, 41-31 midway through the third quarter.
Jackson subbed in and instantly became a dominant force inside. The sophomore finished her first defensive possession with a rebound and on the other end of the floor, grabbed an Owen miss and put it back up for two points. Jackson would go on to score six straight UC Merced points to cut the deficit right back to four, 41-37.
One possession later, Owen converted from distance and then nailed a mid-range jumper to take a 42-41 lead. The Bobcats first lead since late in the first quarter was a result of a game-best 11-0 run. The two teams traded foul shots the rest of the period and the Bobcats carried a 45-44 lead into the fourth quarter.
UC Merced started the final ten minutes of action with the lead for the third time this season and added to it with a Mia Belvin three-pointer. The four point advantage was the Bobcats biggest lead until Bohlmann buried her second triple of the night to put UC Merced up 53-48 with four minutes and 50 seconds until the final buzzer.
Belvin then tallied her fourth steal and found Jackson inside to go up by seven at 55-48. The Bobcats also led by seven at 57-50 with 2:37 to go. Although there was ample time left for the 21st-ranked Owls to keep their eight-game home winning streak alive, the Bobcats played sound and remained ahead by at least two possessions the rest of the way. Belvin and Owen solidified the win by combining to shoot 100% (6-6) from the charity stripe in the final 15 seconds.
Overall, the Bobcats shot a season-best 83% (15-18) from the line. The Bobcats shot 30% (20-65) from the field and 30% (8-27) from beyond the arc.
Other UC Merced notables include getting 21 points off 25 Oregon Tech turnovers. On the flipside, the Bobcats committed a season low ten turnovers. The ten turnovers is the fewest since committing nine vs. Cal Maritime on February 7, 2019.
Up next, the Bobcats take on Southern Oregon University on Saturday, November 16 at 1:00pm to close out their action in the Lithia - Oregon Tech Classic. The game on Danny Miles Court will be the Bobcats first neutral site contest of the year.
