MERCED, Calif. - Deyliana Lewis turned in her first career double-double and Rainah Smith tied her career-high with 21 points as the University of California, Merced women's basketball team earned an 82-65 win over first-time opponent Lincoln University to extend their season-long winning streak to three games.

The Bobcats (4-4) three-game winning streak has gotten them back to .500 on the year and all three wins have come by at least 17 points. This is the Bobcats longest nonconference winning streak since December of 2018. The same timeframe was also the Bobcats last time winning three straight games by double figures. Head coach Sarah Hopkins-Chery's team has outscored the opponent by an average of 44.5 points during this current win streak.

Lewis' double-double consisted of 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Lewis, who is coming off a career-high 19-point outing earlier in the week, has now scored at least 15 points in back-to-back games for the first time in her career. Her rebound output was one short of her career-high, but did double her previous 2021 single-game high. Lewis also had two steals and a block in a stellar effort off the bench.

Smith's 21 points tied her career-high that was originally set on January 25, 2020 against University of Antelope Valley. This time around, Smith shot 57% (8-14) from the floor and also stuffed the stat sheet with a season-high nine rebounds and a career-high five steals. Her five steals are the most by any Bobcat since Mia Belvin's eight on February 1, 2020. Smith is the first player with at least 20 points, nine rebounds and five steals since Belvin accomplished that feat on November 16, 2019.

Haylee Owen added 17 points and two steals, her third game already this year scoring 17 or more points and notching multiple steals. With it, Owen became the seventh player in program history to eclipse 700 career points. The Chula Vista, Calif., native shot 55% (5-9) from beyond the arc.

Mikayla Mabie delivered an all-around performance of nine assists, eight points, five rebounds and four steals. Her nine assists are the most by any Bobcat this year. Her five rebounds tied her season-high, while her four steals sets a season-high. Mabie has a steal in five straight games.

Other individual notables include six points and four rebounds each from Cierra McClain and Andrea Rogers, as well as a seven-rebound effort from Marisse Jackson.

Owen got the Bobcats off to a hot start, scoring nine of the team's first eleven which soon after helped propel UC Merced to a double figure advantage at 14-4. The Bobcats added a point to the lead before the first quarter came to a close and led 19-8 after one. 

Early in the second quarter, Tiffany Nguyen buried a triple to put the Bobcats up 26-12 but Lincoln responded with a 17-4 run over the next three and a half minutes to cut the deficit to just a single point at 30-29. The score held for the last three minutes leading up to intermission.

The game was tied 32-32 less than 90 seconds into the second half due to a three-point play from Lincoln's Denean Jackson. Smith broke the tie with an offensive rebound putback and it sparked an 8-0 run to create light separation. Lincoln followed with five straight points to get it back within a possession, but a Lewis three-point play made it a two possession game and the Bobcats lead only grew from there. An elbow jumper from McClain soon after had the Bobcats up by double figures again at 49-38 and a strong finish to the quarter allowed the Bobcats to carry a 62-43 lead into the fourth. 

The Bobcats lead was between 15 and 19 for the majority of the fourth quarter albeit a pair of Smith free throws extended the Bobcats advantage to 20 at one point, 75-55 with four minutes to go in regulation. Two minutes later, McClain drained a triple to go up by a game-high 23 points at 80-57. A pair of Mabie free throws in the game's final 90 seconds were the Bobcats final points of the night and when the final horn went off it was the Bobcats on top 82-65.

UC Merced finished shooting 37% (30-81) from the floor, 32% (9-28) from beyond the arc and 62% (13-21) from the foul line.

Hopkins-Chery's team scored 26 points off 26 forced turnovers and 12 second chance points off 14 offensive rebounds.

Looking ahead, UC Merced continues its season-long four-game homestand with Menlo College on Tuesday, November 23. Tipoff on Hostetler Court inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium is scheduled for 5:30pm.