MERCED, Calif. – Deyliana Lewis and Damilola Sule turned in stellar performances and the University of California, Merced women's basketball team used a big fourth quarter to take out Cal Maritime 81-60 on Saturday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.

The Bobcats (7-10, 7-5) ended the game on a 19-6 run to get by the Keelhaulers and their 81 total points marks the second highest scoring output of the season.

Lewis finished with career-high's across the board with 26 points, 17 rebounds, and eight assists. The first stat line of its kind in program history also saw Lewis block two shots and get a steal. She scored her 26 points on eleven made field goals, becoming just the sixth Bobcat ever to make at least eleven shots in a game. Lewis' 17 rebounds was UC Merced's third highest mark all-time, while her eight assists tied a 2022-23 team high. Nine of her 17 rebounds came on the offensive glass.

Sule tallied 16 points and continued her monster rebounding season with 25 more boards on Saturday night. She had a career-high 19 defensive rebounds. The sophomore has now grabbed 24+ rebounds in three of her last five games and all three performances are the three highest rebounding totals in program history and top five in Cal Pac history. Offensively, Sule shot 63% (5-8) from the floor and 86% (6-7) from the free throw line in her 12th double-double of the season.

Faith Mucheru hit a career-high three triples and scored 13 points off the bench.

Victoria Farris and Tiffany Nguyen each scored eleven points. Farris also had six boards, four assists, and two steals. Nguyen was credited with five assists.

The run of play saw four lead changes within the first three minutes before UC Merced took the lead for good. Shortly after, a Sule basket from the block put the Bobcats up by nine points at 19-10. The Bobcats also led by nine at 21-12 before holding a 23-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Bobcats advantage got cut to four points early in the second, but strong inside play helped get the lead back to three possessions and then a Mucheru triple gave the Bobcats their first double figure lead of the night at 36-26.

UC Merced led by as many as ten points on three occasions in the third quarter before creating their final separation in the final frame.

Up 62-54 with eight minutes to go in the contest, the Bobcats surged forward for a game-ending 19-6 run and held the Keelhaulers to just two field goals in that stretch. Lewis and Mucheru combined for the Bobcats first 12 points during the run that resulted in a 74-57 lead. Nguyen scored the final basket of the night, making her the fifth Bobcat in double figures and capping off the 81-60 victory.

UC Merced finished the night shooting 38% (32-85) from the floor. The Bobcats 85 total field goal attempts tied their season-high, as did their 33 three-point attempts. The Bobcats hauled in a season-high 59 rebounds and outrebounded Cal Maritime 59-30 overall.

The Bobcats win over Cal Maritime was their 15th in a row against the opponent dating back to the 2015-16 season.

Up next, UC Merced heads to Arizona for three games in four nights beginning with Park University Gilbert on Thursday, January 26. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30pm PST at Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Ariz.