MERCED, Calif. - Mason Westlake led three Bobcats in double figures with 16 points but the University of California, Merced men's basketball team couldn't cool off a hot Westmont College squad and fell 80-72 to the Warriors on Monday evening inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.

The Bobcats (3-6) home loss was just their second in the last ten games dating back to 2020.

Westmont, who started the year on a nine-game winning streak, shot their way to victory with a 55% (30-55) field goal percentage and a 50% (9-18) three-point mark. Westmont's Ajay Singh led the way with 24 points. 

Westlake's 16-point effort for the Bobcats marked his sixth double figure scoring effort of the year and with it he passed Chiwike E'denchukwu for sixth on the program's all-time scoring list with 756 career points. 

Six of his Westlake's points against Westmont came from beyond the arc, his third consecutive contest knocking down multiple triples. He was also credited with three steals on Monday.

Caleb Gilbert tied his career-high with four three-point field goals. He finished with 14 points overall for his fifth double figure outing of the young campaign.

Tiler Fears pitched in ten points and blocked a shot. He made all four of his free throw attempts, following a game in which he broke the program's single-game record with 14 made foul shots.

Point guard Justin Nguyen and centers Ruke Agbabune and Jaron Mertle were good for seven points each. Nguyen also had a team-high four assists.

Agbabune's scoring output on Monday marked a career-high and matched his season scoring total.

Other individual notables include seven rebounds from Mertle and six rebounds from Onkar Sidhu, 

Despite the loss, UC Merced jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the opening minutes highlighted by a pair of Gilbert triples. However, Westmont answered and hit five of their next six shots and a 12-2 run gave them their first lead of the game at 14-13.

Gilbert then splashed yet another triple to put the Bobcats back on top. 

Tied 20-20 midway through the first half, Westmont converted a basket down low and then would go on to lead the rest of the way. They grabbed their first double figure lead at 32-22 and led by as many as 15 points before the Bobcats went on a 9-2 run in the four minutes leading up to intermission. The Bobcats trailed 41-33 at the break.

Justin Nguyen buried a triple to start the second half to cut the deficit to five, but that was as close as the Bobcats would get the remainder of the night.

While the teams traded baskets for the first eight minutes of the period, Westmont exploded for an 11-2 run over a three-minute stretch that started with a Singh slam dunk. At the conclusion of the run, Westmont led by a game-high 18 points, 69-51.

Following the big deficit, the Bobcats got at it defensively and started scoring points off turnovers to give themselves a chance to get back in the game down the stretch.

Westlake cut the deficit down to ten points with four and half minutes left, and then after it got back up to 15 points, Westlake led another charge but time ran out and the final score was 80-72.

Both losses at home this year have been by single digits.

UC Merced finished the night shooting 37% (25-67) from the floor, 32% (10-31) from downtown and 86% (12-14) from the charity stripe. The strong free throw percentage was the Bobcats highest since February 8, 2020 against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Looking ahead, the Bobcats wrap up nonconference play at Menlo College in Atherton, Calif., on Friday, December 31. Tipoff inside the Haynes-Prim Pavilion is scheduled for 4:00pm.