MERCED, Calif. - Mia Belvin and Haylee Owen each scored 20+ points to anchor the University of California, Merced women's basketball team to a 74-54 win over Pacific Union College in the California Pacific Conference opener Saturday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
The Bobcats (7-7, 1-0) have now won six straight conference openers and have an average scoring margin of +29 in those contests. The Bobcats, who never trailed in the victory, also improved to 13-1 all-time against Pacific Union.
Belvin led all scorers with 23 points and was stellar defensively with a season-high seven steals. Belvin's 20+ point effort is her sixth of the season, while her seven steals matches the 2019-20 Cal Pac single-game high. Belvin also grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists in her fourth career conference opener.
Owen finished with similar numbers, stuffing the stat sheet with 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and tied her career-high with five steals. The sophomore buried a career-high five triples while shooting 50% (5-10) from beyond the arc and now owns the program-record with multiple three-point makes in eleven straight games.
Deyliana Lewis added eleven points and two blocks, while Marisse Jackson was good for eight points, seven rebounds and a block. Rainah Smith grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
Smith also ranked second on the team with three assists and set up an Owen three-point field goal for the Bobcats first basket of 2020.
A Belvin steal and score followed shortly after and a Lewis putback midway through the first quarter had the Bobcats up 13-4. Although the offense slowed down towards the end of the period, head coach Sarah Hopkins-Chery's team held a 17-8 advantage after ten minutes of play. The Bobcats held the Pioneers without a triple in the first quarter and forced eight Pioneer turnovers, 28 throughout the night.
Pacific Union opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run to tie the game at 17 just over four minutes in. The run was put to an end with an Owen triple, snapping a five minute scoreless drought for the Bobcats. Belvin added to Owen's triple with two straight buckets off turnovers to put her team up 24-17. The lead shrunk to four before the half came to an end but the Bobcats carried a 29-24 lead into intermission.
UC Merced has either led at the half or been within a possession in eight of the last nine games.
The Bobcats created further separation in the third quarter by scoring on three of their first four possessions, including a Jackson putback for a 35-26 advantage. A successful Belvin 3-PT field goal gave UC Merced its first double figure lead of the night at 40-29 with six minutes left in the third quarter. Lewis and Soana Afu were key in extending the lead to 14 points, 46-32. Although the lead was narrowed to 49-41, the Bobcats managed to get back up by double figures just 27 seconds later and led 54-41 heading into the final frame.
Neither team scored in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. Jackson was the first on the board after recovering a blocked shot and going right back up for two. Lewis fed Owen beyond the arc for a 59-41 lead and then after a PUC turnover, Belvin found Jackson underneath the basket for the first 20-point lead, 61-41. The Bobcats led 67-43 midway through the fourth and by a game-high 26 points after Owen cashed in on a second-chance opportunity. The 26-point lead was a 71-45 score with 2:37 showing on the game clock. Owen rounded out the Bobcats 74 total points with her career-high fifth triple. Madelynn Reed earned her first career assist on the play.
The Bobcats shot 43% (17-39) from the floor and 36% (4-11) from deep in the second half. Overall, UC Merced shot 39% (30-76) from the floor, 24% (6-25) from deep and 53% (8-15) from the foul line. Pacific Union finished 44% (21-47) from the field.
33 of the Bobcats 72 points came off the Pioneers 28 turnovers.The Bobcats were outrebounded 41-38 but grabbed 21 offensive rebounds.
The Bobcats also recorded 16 assists for the second time in the last three games and are 5-2 this year when assisting on at least 50% of the made field goals.
Victoria Farris made her Hostetler Court debut after sitting out the first four home games with an injury.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats visit the reigning California Pacific Conference co-regular season champion Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) in Prescott, Ariz., on Thursday, January 9. Tipoff from the ERAU Activity Center is scheduled for 4:30pm PST.
