ANGWIN, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's basketball team shot a season-best 56% from the floor and blew out Pacific Union College 88-48 on Thursday night to start round two of California Pacific Conference play.

The Bobcats (12-5, 8-3) 40+ point margin of victory was their highest all-time in a conference matchup. Head coach Kevin Pham's squad is now winners of three straight on the road.

Mason Westlake led four Bobcats in double figures with 19 points. He cashed in five of his eight three-pointers, while also proving to be a threat defensively with three steals. With his defensive efforts, Westlake passed both Mitch Flores and Cole Taira for third all-time in program history with 97 career steals. Offensively, Westlake has gone for 19+ points in each of the last three games while shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from downtown, and 80% from the charity stripe.

Georgie Nze scored a career-high 12 points with an impressive shooting night, finishing 80% (4-5) from behind the three-point line. Nze becomes just the third Bobcat in the last five years to shoot at least 80% from downtown with four or more makes.

Kingsley Obiorah was good for eleven points and five rebounds, while Cameron Brown scored ten points. Both Obiorah and Brown shot 80% (4-5) from the field and were credited with a steal.

Josiah Ajiake scored nine points. Chris Bramah pitched in five assists, five rebounds, and four points. Bramah's five assists marked a season-high.

Other individual notables include five points from Tiler Fears, four rebounds each from Ruke Agbabune and Myles Haynes, and a block from Agbabune and Fears.

All fourteen Bobcats who took the floor scored.

In addition to UC Merced's season-best .561 field goal percentage, the Bobcats also tied their season-high with 12 made three-pointers while shooting .571 from downtown.

Head coach Kevin Pham's squad scored the game's first eleven points, highlighted by two triples from Nze to help build the 11-0 lead. The Bobcats stellar start allowed the squad to earn a wire-to-wire win.

Pacific Union closed the gap to a possession at 15-13, but the Bobcats gained momentum right back with an 11-3 run to get up by double figures again. The ten-point lead grew to 18 points at 37-19 with four minutes to go before intermission.

Nze and Fears led one final UC Merced first half push to help the victors take a 44-21 lead into the locker rooms. The Bobcats finished the first half shooting a blistering 62% from the floor.

The break didn't slow down the Bobcats and UC Merced scored 14 points in the first five minutes of the second half to extend their lead to 32 points at 58-26. The Bobcats advantage was between 28 and 33 points for the next seven minutes.

Brown extended the Bobcats lead to 38 points with six minutes left in regulation. The two teams traded baskets the rest of the way, while Jordan Webster scored the final basket of the night that put the Bobcats up by a game-high 40 points at 88-48.

The 40-point scoring margin was the second largest margin in any Cal Pac game this year.

UC Merced's 88 points marked their fifth time scoring at least 80 points this season, marking a new program record.

The Bobcats limited Pacific Union College to just 31% shooting and are now 5-0 this season when holding teams under 55 points.

Looking ahead, UC Merced will host Cal Maritime on Saturday, January 21 at 7:30pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.