REDDING, Calif. - Freshman Jayson Wiltz poured in a career-high 20 points and Jaron Mertle recorded his first career double-double to lead the University of California, Merced men's basketball team to a 68-57 win over Simpson University on Saturday night inside the James M. Grant Center.

The Bobcats (4-9, 1-2) led for the final 29 minutes of game time after Mertle broke a 14-14 tie with a triple.

Wiltz's career-night came while shooting 55% (6-11) from the floor and 100% (6-6) from the charity stripe. He is the Bobcats first freshman with 20 points in a game since Mason Westlake on February 14, 2019. Furthermore, Wiltz is the first Bobcat freshman with 20 in a road game since Cole Taira on February 9, 2017. Eleven of the Riverside, Calif., natives 20 points came in the second half to secure the Bobcats first Cal Pac win of the year. Wiltz also had a career-high two steals.

Mertle's first career double-double performance consisted of ten points and 13 rebounds. He grabbed four offensive rebounds in the second half, two of which resulted in second chance baskets. Overall, Saturday marked Mertle's third career double-figure scoring performance and second career 10+ rebound game.

Mason Westlake joined the duo in double figures with 14 points to inch closer to the 800-career point marker. The senior knocked down a pair of triples to extend his three-point streak to 15 games dating back to the championship winning season in 2020-21. Also, Westlake passed Chiwike E'denchukwu and moved into a tie with Matt Laflin for fourth in program history with 36 double figure scoring performances. 

Kingsley Obiorah finished with eight points, five rebounds and two blocks in his season debut, while Tilear Fears had seven points and a steal. Onkar Sidhu grabbed seven rebounds and shared game-high with three assists.

Six of Obiorah's eight points came in the Bobcats most dominant stretch of the night, a 14-2 run that stretched over five minutes of game time and put the Bobcats on top 30-16 late in the first half. The highlight was a breakaway one-handed slam that Obiorah set up himself by jumping a pass at the top of the key.

The Bobcats kept their double figure lead at intermission and the 40-27 halftime lead was the Bobcats biggest on the road in the Cal Pac since February 2, 2019.

Head coach Kevin Pham's team led by at least ten points for the first four minutes of the second half and by at least three possessions for the first eleven minutes. Simpson surged for a run that cut the Bobcats lead down to two at 53-51 with just under six minutes to play, but Westlake answered with a bucket and the Bobcats lead grew from there. Wiltz made it 60-54 with three minutes left and then hit four free throws down the stretch to ice the game and get the Bobcats a 68-57 win.

UC Merced finished the night shooting 44% (24-55) from the floor, 35% (7-20) from downtown and 68% (13-19) from the charity stripe. The Bobcats limited Simpson to just a 33% shooting mark. 

Other notable team stats include outrebounding Simpson 36-26 and forcing 13 turnovers.

The Bobcats have won six straight Cal Pac road games dating back to the 2019-20 campaign. 

Up next, the Bobcats will stay on the road and head to Arizona for three games in three days starting at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz., on Friday, January 28. Tipoff from the ERAU Activity Center is scheduled for 7:30pm PST.