OAKLAND, Calif. - Haylee Owen tallied a career-high 25 points and Mia Belvin added 21 as the University of California, Merced women's basketball team got back to .500 with a 72-61 win over Holy Names University Saturday afternoon inside Tobin Gymnasium.
The Bobcats (5-5) guard combination of Owen and Belvin have each scored 20+ points in three of the last four games and are the highest scoring combination on the West Coast. Belvin is averaging 18.8 points per game, while Owen is now at a 17.4 mark.
Prior to this year, the last time two Bobcats scored 20+ points in the same game was January 19, 2019 at University of Antelope Valley. No duo in program history has ever accomplished that feat three times in a single-season prior to Belvin and Owen.
Owen recorded her career-high Saturday afternoon by shooting 58% (7-12) from the field and 80% (4-5) from the three-point line. Owen also made seven of her eight foul shots and was good for five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Belvin also had two steals and has notched at least two in nine of ten games this season.
Deyliana Lewis had a career-outing in 23 minutes off the bench with ten points and nine rebounds, both career-highs.
Gabriella Edmond was good for nine points, while Cierra McClain had seven points, three steals and a season-high four rebounds.
Six of Edmond's nine points came beyond the arc and overall the Bobcats shot a season-high 47.4% (9-19) from three-point territory.
The Bobcats started out 75% from distance as after Belvin missed her first attempt, buried three straight triples and UC Merced was up 9-4 just over three minutes in. Owen scored her first basket midway through the quarter for an 11-4 lead, but Holy Names countered with their most dominant stretch of the night and it resulted in a 20-11 lead. The Hawks 16-0 run lasted for four minutes and 50 seconds and the home team shot 75% (6-8) during the surge.
Owen converted a free throw with 63 seconds left, while Belvin followed with two more to cut the Hawks lead down to six (20-14) at the end of the quarter.
Each team scored 15 points in the second quarter. Owen scored six straight early on to help the Bobcats tie the game at 26, however the Bobcats failed to grab the lead. Holy Names broke the deadlock with a 6-0 run and led by at least two possessions the rest of the half. Lewis scored right before the lengthy horn and the Bobcats trailed 35-29 going into the locker rooms.
Holy Names scored on the first possession out of intermission to go up 37-29, but the Bobcats stifled them the next nine and a half minutes and held them to just four makes total in the third quarter. UC Merced's defense turned into offense and a Belvin jumper capped off a 9-0 run to take the lead midway through the quarter, 38-37.
The Bobcats stayed solid and an 11-5 run to end the quarter had head coach Sarah Hopkins-Chery's team up 49-44 entering the final ten minutes. Five different Bobcats made up those eleven points, including McClain who scored a second chance basket.
Edmond opened the fourth quarter with her tenth career triple to give the Bobcats their largest lead at the time, 52-44. The make from distance was enough to keep the Bobcats up by at least two possessions the rest of the game and the visitors found themselves up by double figures with just over six minutes to go, 57-47.
The Bobcats biggest lead of the night was 64-52 after an Edmond layup with three minutes left. The contest turned into a free throw shooting contest in the final two minutes and the Bobcats shot 66% (8-12) and got a few stops to solidify a double figure win, 72-61. Owen was 100% (4-4) from the stripe with a steal during the final 90 seconds. McClain also had a steal.
Overall the Bobcats shot 70% (19-27) at the charity stripe and 39% (22-56) from the field. Other notables include forcing 18 Holy Names turnovers and scoring 15 second chance points off of 13 offensive rebounds.
Lewis, Rainah Smith and Marisse Jackson each had three offensive rebounds for UC Merced.
Up next, the Bobcats visit Life Pacific University in San Dimas, Calif., on Tuesday, December 3. Tipoff on Mehl Court is scheduled for 5:00pm.
