ATHERTON, Calif. - Deyliana Lewis and Damilola Sule tallied double-double's but the University of California, Merced women's basketball team fell 84-55 to Menlo College in the 2022-23 season opener on Saturday afternoon inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion. The Bobcats (0-1) new head coach Kellie Bernard made her official head coaching debut.

Lewis and Sule became the third and fourth players in program history with a double-double in a season opener. Lewis finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds and her scoring effort was the highest output by a Bobcat in a season opener since Mia Belvin scored 18 points in 2017. Lewis, who shot 47% on 17 shots, also had a steal and an assist. Her 13 rebounds tied her career-high.

Sule's double-double consisted of 13 points and eleven rebounds. Sule, who set the program's single-season record last year with a .573 field goal percentage, shot 56% from the floor against the Oaks. Six of Sule's eleven rebounds came on the offensive glass. She also led the Bobcats with two assists.

Both Lewis and Sule's double-double marked the second of their career. They each notched their first a season ago.

Tiffany Nguyen was good for a career-high 15 points and played all 40 minutes in the setback. 

Paloma Ramirez added six points and grabbed seven rebounds in her collegiate debut. Gabby Martini scored a basket and grabbed three rebounds in her first career action. Linsy De Leon and Faith Mucheru also made their collegiate debut's. De Leon recorded a team-high two steals. Parker Fromm sank a free throw and grabbed two offensive rebounds.

Despite the loss, the Bobcats outrebounded the Oaks 40-33 and 16-15 on the offensive glass. The Bobcats also drew 24 fouls and shot 29 free throws.

The Bobcats scored on two of the first three offensive possessions of Bernard's head coaching career and led 4-2, but Menlo College followed with a 14-4 run to grab their first double figure lead of the day at 18-8. The Bobcats trailed 20-13 at the end of the first quarter before Menlo extended the lead back to double figures and never looked back. The Bobcats deficit was 45-22 at intermission.

UC Merced's best run of play the rest of the way came in the second half. Nguyen led the Bobcats on a 9-0 run in closing minutes of the third quarter and opening minutes of the fourth quarter, while Lewis helped the Bobcats lower the deficit late with a game-ending 13-3 run.

UC Merced finished the afternoon shooting 38% from the floor.

Up next, the Bobcats visit Holy Names University to play the Hawks on Sunday, November 6 at 2:00pm.