FULLERTON, Calif. - Senior guard Mia Belvin scored a 2019-20 California Pacific Conference single-game high 31 points to help lift the University of California, Merced women's basketball team over Westcliff University, 75-54 Friday night on the second leg of a back-to-back. Belvin added four rebounds and tallied a block and a steal in the road win.
The Bobcats (4-4) also got a strong offensive performance out of Haylee Owen, who tied her career-high and registered her second straight 21-point effort. Owen shot 54% (7-13) from the floor and made a career-high four triples in the win. Owen also had two assists in her fifth straight start.
Rainah Smith tied her season-high with ten points and nine rebounds, while Marisse Jackson had six points and seven rebounds in her first career start. Atwater, Calif., native Nia Smiley joined Jackson in the starting lineup for the first time ever and provided the opening bucket along with four rebounds and a steal.
UC Merced never trailed Friday night and the Bobcats led for the final 35 minutes after Belvin buried a triple to break a 7-7 tie. Later in the period, Owen scored five straight points and the Bobcats led 16-9 with 90 seconds to play in the first quarter.
Those final 90 seconds were extremely busy though as Westcliff came within one at 16-15 before Belvin scored twice, once from the charity stripe, to build the advantage back to two possessions (19-15) at the first break.
Smith helped spark a Bobcat 7-0 run to start the second quarter that eventually gave UC Merced its first double figure lead of the night at 26-15. Belvin had five points during the run, while Smith had two points, two offensive rebounds and an assist. The Bobcats built the lead to 31-17 midway through the frame and with just over two minutes to go in the half, held a then game-high 17-point cushion at 36-19 after a successful Cierra McClain trip to the charity stripe.
However similar to the first quarter, Westcliff got going late and managed to head into the locker rooms trailing 39-31. The double figure deficit was erased by shooting 80% (4-5) from the field and 100% (3-3) at the foul line during the last two minutes.
The Bobcats eight point advantage after 20 minutes was the biggest halftime lead on the road since February 16, 2019.
After intermission, Westcliff shaved four more points off the deficit but the 39-35 score was the closest the Warriors would get to UC Merced the rest of the night. The Bobcats quickly responded with an 8-0 run to go up 47-35 and the lead grew to 14 points towards the end of the third quarter when Deyliana Lewis found Jackson underneath for an easy deuce. A Warrior three-point play made it a 56-45 affair heading into the final ten minutes.
The fourth quarter was the most dominant of the night for UC Merced. After Westcliff scored on its first possession, UC Merced outscored the Warriors 19-7 the rest of the way and limited the hosts to just 2-16 from the field.
Head coach Sarah Hopkins-Chery's team had a 5-0 run and an 8-0 run in the frame, the latter had UC Merced up 72-52 with two minutes and 14 seconds on the clock. The 8-0 run started with a Jackson bucket and then Lewis, Smith and Owen each hit two free throws to combine for the other six points.
Only two field goals were attempted, one was made, in the final two minutes as the possessions dragged out and two of the Warriors possessions ended with turnovers. There were also fouls that sent the teams to the charity stripe and the game's final point was scored by Belvin with 33 seconds left, a free throw make to finalize the score at 75-54.
The Bobcats shot 72% (18-25) from the line overall. The Bobcats also shot 40% (25-63) from the field and 47% (7-15) from distance, while holding Westcliff to a 30% (19-64) clip from the floor.
12 of the Bobcats 25 field goals were assisted, including four each from Lewis and McClain. Lewis also had five rebounds and two blocks.
Other notables include 24 points off 19 Westcliff turnovers and 14 second chance points off of 17 offensive rebounds. Smith had seven offensive boards.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats host Menlo College on Tuesday, November 26 at 5:30pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium. All fans that bring two non-perishable food items receive free admission.
