MERCED, Calif - Seniors Branson Garcia, Aaron Laflin and Matt Laflin were celebrated before the game and head coach Kevin Pham's first ever four-year group played a key role in the Bobcats record-breaking 76-68 senior night victory over La Sierra University Saturday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
The eight point win marked the Bobcats program-best 14th win and they finished the 2018-19 campaign 14-12 overall, 7-7 in California Pacific Conference play. The 14-12 record is good for the first winning season in program history.
Garcia poured in a season-high 13 points and connected on four three-point attempts. Aaron Laflin added nine points and a pair of blocks, while twin brother Matt Laflin cashed in a triple, grabbed a season-high eight rebounds and added two assists.
The trio combined for eight of the Bobcats eleven three-pointers.
Also hitting shots from beyond the arc were starting guards Ryan Haywood and Raphael Durr. Haywood finished with a career-high 20 points and shot 75% (9-12) from the floor.
Durr recorded his first double-double in a Bobcat uniform, a 17 point, ten rebound performance. The junior also notched a game-high seven assists and four steals to become just the second ever Bobcat to tally 200+ plus points, 40+ assists and 40+ steals in a single-season. The other Bobcat to accomplish that feat, Ryan Haywood in 2017-18.
Nearly 60% of the game's scoring came in the first half and the Bobcats carried a 43-41 lead into the locker room.
The first half began with a La Sierra basket. At the other end of the floor, Garcia gave the Bobcats their first lead of the night with his first make from beyond the arc. M. Laflin notched the assist on Garcia's triple.
The Bobcats 3-2 advantage marked one of eight first half lead changes.
La Sierra's Kenny Lewis matched Garica with a three of his own and the Golden Eagles held the lead for the next three minutes.
Garcia and M. Laflin teamed up for a three-point field goal at the 15:14 mark to even the score at 16. Garcia had an offensive rebound and an assist on the play, while Laflin knocked down the shot from distance.
The Bobcats found themselves tied again midway through the half after Andrew Williams got to the charity stripe and knocked down his first free throw. Williams sunk his second attempt to give the Bobcats a 25-24 lead.
Each team made a field goal to bring the score to 27-26 with 9:17 remaining in the first half.
UC Merced's largest lead of the first half was five points at 31-26. A mid-range jumper from Cole Taira is what got the Bobcats to that mark.
However, the Golden Eagles responded to the five point deficit with an 11-0 run that was capped off by a Kyle Hamilton bucket. The 11-0 run put the Golden Eagles up 37-31.
A pair of Aaron Laflin triples got the Bobcats back where they wanted to be and a pair of fast break buckets from Haywood and Durr helped give the Bobcats the 43-41 lead at intermission.
UC Merced scored 43 or more points in the first half for the second time in the last five games.
It didn't take long for the Bobcats to get halfway to the century mark as they opened up the final 20 minutes with an 8-1 run. Durr and Garcia each hit a three during the stretch.
UC Merced led 54-46 five minutes into the half, 56-47 after an Alfred Batmani field goal within the painted area.
The Bobcats also led by 9 at 58-49 before a La Sierra 8-0 run narrowed the margin to a single point with 7:50 left in the game.
Durr made it a three point game but the lead was back to one at 60-59 due to a pair of free throws. The 60-59 score was the closest the Bobcats would allow La Sierra to come the rest of the way.
A 6-0 run put the Bobcats up 66-59, while Garcia's fourth triple in his final game as a Bobcat had the Bobcats up 69-63 with under three to go.
After La Sierra countered with a three-pointer, A. Laflin added his final bucket in a Bobcat uniform and the Bobcats led by at least two possessions the rest of the way.
Durr scored UC Merced's last point in the 2018-19 season at the charity stripe, one of 35 free throw conversions of the season for the Sacramento, Calif., native which is good for second on the team.
Other notables include four points each from Taira and Batmani. Taira also added two assists and Batmani blocked a shot. Ronnie Kozak grabbed four rebounds and sent a shot away.
With the season now coming to an end, stay tuned to ucmercedbobcats.com and @ucmercedmbb on Twitter for all the latest on UC Merced men's basketball.
