MERCED, Calif. - The University of California, Merced women's basketball team beat Benedictine University Mesa 66-62 in the California Pacific Conference Opener and the home opener Thursday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.

The Bobcats (1-5, 1-0) win also marked their first win of the season overall, and the first career win for UC Merced's new head coach Kellie Bernard.

The Bobcats, the reigning Cal Pac Tournament Champions, have now won eleven straight conference games dating back to last season. 

UC Merced led by as many as fourteen points on the night en route to a season-high 66 total points, but the game was extremely tight down the stretch. Tied 62-62 with a minute to go, Paloma Ramirez beat her defender and hit a go-ahead ten foot jump shot in the key to put the finishing touches on a 17-point night. After a defensive stop, Damilola Sule ultimately sealed the win with a putback to put the Bobcats up by four points with six seconds left.

Sule finished with 16 points on 78% (7-9) shooting and 12 rebounds to become the first Cal Pac player in the last ten years to start the season with five consecutive double-double's. Sule needed just 22 minutes to earn Thursday night's double-double. Five of her 12 total rebounds came on the offensive glass.

Deyliana Lewis scored a team-high 18 points for the second time this season. Lewis shot 71% (5-7) from the floor in addition to making seven of her ten foul shots. Lewis also stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds and four assists.

Paloma Ramirez posted a nearly identical stat line with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Ramirez hit a career-high five triples prior to her go-ahead jumper with a minute to go. The freshman played all 40 minutes and has scored at least 15 points in three straight games.

Tiffany Nguyen and Victoria Farris added five points each. Farris also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists. Nguyen had two assists. 

Faith Mucheru and Aislyn Dora also scored for the Bobcats. Mucheru hit three free throws for her first career points.

UC Merced scored on its first two possessions and jumped out to an early 10-2 lead less than five minutes in. After BenU Mesa recovered from the deficit and went on top at 18-16, five lead changes followed in the next three minutes of live action stretching from the end of the first quarter and into the second quarter.

With the help of three Ramirez triples and other Bobcats getting to the foul line, the Bobcats were able to build their lead to as many as nine points before intermission at 35-26. Bernard's squad then led 35-27 at halftime.

Out of the break, BenU Mesa scored first but back-to-back buckets from Sule and Lewis garnered the Bobcats first double figure lead of the night at 39-29. UC Merced's largest lead reached 14 points, 49-35 midway through the quarter following a Ramirez three-pointer.

However, the Bobcats found themselves behind 59-54 with six and a half minutes to go and responded to the deficit perfectly on the defensive end. After BenU hit a triple to go up 62-58 with 4:38 to play, UC Merced held the Redhawks scoreless the rest of the way. 

Offensively, Sule cut the deficit to two points and then Lewis tied the game at the foul line prior to Ramirez hitting the go-ahead jumper.

UC Merced finished the night shooting 37% (21-57) from the floor, 24% (6-26) from downtown, and 69% (18-26) at the foul line.

Other team notables include a season-high 15 assists, winning the rebounding battle 37-34, and forcing 19 BenU turnovers.

Looking ahead, the Bobcats host Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Friday, December 2 at 5:30pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.