MERCED, Calif. - Senior Deja Jackson sunk a triple in the game's closing seconds to cap off a special senior night victory, 76-55 over La Sierra University inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium on Saturday night.
The University of California, Merced women's basketball team closes the regular season with a program-best 23-6 record, 11-3 in Cal Pac play and enter their fifth consecutive California Pacific Conference Championships scheduled to begin next weekend in Lancaster, Calif.
Under the guidance of fourth year head coach Sarah Hopkins-Chery, the Bobcats will go in as the No. 3 seed. The opponent is the tournament's No. 2 seed, tenth-ranked University of Antelope Valley on Saturday, February 23, at 8:30pm.
Four seniors were honored prior to the game, including Aubrey Hayes who cashed in on a pair of triples en route to her ninth straight double figure scoring effort.
Overall, the Bobcats were led by Haylee Owen's career-high 19 point effort. Owen shared-game high with a pair of La Sierra players and shot a stellar 80% (8-10) from the floor. The freshman also tallied four assists.
Freshman Rainah Smith neared a double-double with ten points and eight rebounds, while Shelby Bohlmann pitched in nine points from behind the arc.
Senior Mia Shannon led all players with ten rebounds and a career-high five steals.
The first quarter was evenly played, featuring three ties and six lead changes. After each team traded layups in the opening minute, Bohlmann connected on the game's first triple and had the Bobcats up 5-2 early on. La Sierra followed with a 4-0 run to take their first lead of the night midway through the period.
Two minutes later, Bohlmann connected on her second triple and added a third with 1:49 on the clock to make it 13-10 in favor of the Bobcats.
Smith converted a pair of free throws to get UC Merced to 15 but La Sierra also hit that mark and the score was even heading into the second quarter.
La Sierra's final lead of the game was 17-15 as the Bobcats responded to the Golden Eagles go-ahead bucket with a 12-0 run. Owen had six points during the explosion and in between her field goals, found an open Aubrey Hayes for her first of six makes on the night.
The 12-0 run gave the home team a 27-17 advantage less than four minutes into the second quarter.
Although La Sierra got back within single figures at 27-19, the Bobcats closed out the half scoring on six of their final eight possessions and carried a 42-26 lead into intermission.
Five of the six makes came between the 3:56 and 1:49 mark. The Bobcats shot 100% (5-5) during those two minutes and recorded an assist on four of five field goal tries.
The second half began with a bucket from each team on their first opportunity, Smith for the Bobcats and Alexis Davis for the Golden Eagles.
A Mia Belvin block turned into a Hayes triple at the other end. Hayes' triple marked her seventh straight home game making a three-pointer and she closed out her career on Hostetler Court making a triple in 14 of her 16 home games as a senior.
Hayes' triple also gave the Bobcats their first 20 point lead of the night at 48-28. The lead extended to 21 points, 53-32, at the quarter's halfway point while another Hayes three-pointer gave the Bobcats a then game-high 23 point lead at 57-34. Senior Kimiko Sato was credited with the assist on the senior to senior connection.
Sato added a field goal of her own off an Owen feed to make it 59-36. La Sierra countered with a second chance basket and Gabriella Edmond ended the quarter with mid-range jumper bringing the scoreboard to 61-38 after 30 minutes of action.
The largest lead of the night was 25 points, 63-38 via a strong take down the left side of the lane by Owen. Owen also had the Bobcats out in front by 25 points at 65-40.
UC Merced led by at least 20 points the rest of the game, including 70-46 with six and half minutes to go.
Midway through the period, Shannon recorded one of her career-high five steals that turned into a Hayes right-handed hook shot on the other side of the floor.
Shannon recorded an assist on the play, giving the Bobcats a 72-50 advantage.
Smith accounted for UC Merced's 73rd and 74th point at the charity stripe, while Jackon's three with 15 seconds left finalized the Bobcats 77 point night.
The senior class heads into the tournament as the winningest class in program history, combining for 70 wins over the last four seasons. Jackson, Sato, Hayes and Shannan are also the largest four-year group in program history.
Saturday night's semifinal match against UAV can be streamed here.
