MERCED, Calif. - Mason Westlake tied the game with six seconds left to force overtime but the University of California, Merced men's basketball team ultimately fell 62-54 in overtime to Simpson University in the regular season finale on Monday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium. Monday night was also Senior Night, where four Bobcats were honored in a pregame ceremony.

The Bobcats (9-11, 6-4) overtime game was their second in league play this year and was their sixth game in the last eight in which the scoring margin was within three points in the final minute of regulation.

The game was tied 49-49 with 4:37 left in regulation and stayed that way with under a minute to go. Simpson's JT Branch hit a go-ahead shot with 35 seconds left. Westlake forced overtime with a stepback jumper from the elbow.

Westlake led all scorers with 21 points. It marked his second straight 20-point game and his third in the last four outings. Westlake eclipsed 900 career points on the night, becoming the third player in program history to do so.

Zach Phipps finished with eleven points and a career-high three steals. Phipps knocked down his first two three-point field goals and finished with three on the night.

Onkar Sidhu was good for seven points, seven rebounds and three assists. Caleb Gilbert pitched in five points and five rebounds.

Kingsley Obiorah and Robert Benson had eight and seven rebounds, respectively.

Despite the loss, the Bobcats got off to a strong start and scored the first seven points of the game and nine of the first 13. Simpson tied the game 10-10 midway through the first half, but Westlake put the Bobcats right back on top. The Bobcats followed with their strongest ten minutes of the night. 

Triples from Westlake, Phipps and Georgie Nze went through the net to give the Bobcats their first double figure lead at 25-15. The Bobcats added to their lead with a 10-4 run to go up by a game-high 16 points, 35-19 with two minutes remaining until intermission. Gilbert scored five of those ten Bobcat points with a breakaway slam dunk and a three-pointer right in front of the Red Hawks bench.

The Bobcats led 35-21 at halftime.

Scoring slowed for the Bobcats in the second half, however it picked up for Simpson and the visitors went on a 17-2 run to grab their first lead of the night just over six minutes in. Sidhu put a halt to the run by scoring on back-to-back possessions. Phipps then splashed a triple to give the Bobcats a 43-40 lead midway through the second half. 

The Bobcats led 49-45 with six minutes left. Simpson tied the game 49-49 a couple minutes later, and then no one scored until the games final minute.

Westlake forced overtime, but Simpson controlled the extra period and scored on three of their four possessions to make it tough on the Bobcats. It was 56-54 in the final minute before Simpson scored six straight points, a layup and four free throws, to secure the overtime victory.

Both teams finished the night shooting 32%. The Bobcats had the upperhand on the boards, outrebounding Simpson 42-35.

UC Merced finishes the conference slate with a winning record for the third straight year and a .500 Cal Pac record or better for the fifth straight year.

Up next, the Bobcats will take on Cal Maritime in the California Pacific Conference Championships on Sunday, February 27 at 2:00pm. The Bobcats, champions of the 2021 Cal Pac Phase Two Tournament, enter as the #5 seed. This year's postseason tournament will be played at the Pioneer Events Center in Lancaster, Calif.