MESA, Ariz. – The University of California, Merced men's basketball team shot 56% from the field and a season-best 64% from three-point land, and were nearly perfect in the final ten minutes to knock out Park University Gilbert, 71-61 in game one of a three-game Arizona road trip on Thursday night.

The Bobcats (13-6, 9-4) have now shot over 55% in back-to-back road games, both resulting in double figure wins. Overall, the Bobcats have won four straight on the road dating back to December 28. UC Merced's 63% (7-11) three-point mark was the highest since February 20, 2020.

Mason Westlake led the way with 24 points and splashed four of his five triples on the night while playing in his 100th career game. He cashed in 67% (8-12) of his shots overall, in addition to sinking all four free throws. Westlake's 20+ point game was his fifth in Cal Pac play this season.

Kingsley Obiorah finished with 14 points on 50% shooting and hauled in eleven rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. Also of note, Obiroah's 50% shooting night gives him eight games in a row scoring in double figures while making at least half of his shots. The Bobcats dominant post also recorded two blocks and was credited with a steal.

Chris Bramah scored eleven points with two made three-pointers.

DeDrick Martin and Josiah Ajiake scored eight and six points, respectively, and combined to shoot 100% (5-5) from the floor. Martin also added five rebounds and a career-high three steals to his offensive contributions.

Other individual notables include five rebounds and a block from Jaron Mertle, and four rebounds from Myles Haynes in his first career start. Tiler Fears tied his career-high with three steals for the third time this month.

The Bobcats and the Buccaneers each held six-point leads in the opening half and a back and forth first 20 minutes of play ended in a 28-28 tie. The Bobcats lead of such was 8-2, while Park Gilbert's was later at 24-18. The six-point margin was the largest of the first half. Head coach Kevin Pham's squad answered back to the 24-18 deficit with a strong final four minutes leading up to intermission. Ajiake had all of his six points in the stretch, knocking down a triple and then finishing a three-point play the hard way a minute later.

Nine lead changes occurred in the first ten minutes of the second half and no lead for either side was larger than three points before UC Merced grabbed the lead for good at 45-44 following a Mertle free throw.

Mertle hit his next foul shot, then Westlake finished at the rack to start the Bobcats near perfection the rest of the way. UC Merced shot 80% from that point on until the final horn. Bramah followed Westlake's inside bucket with a triple. However, Park didn't surrender just yet and the Bobcats lead was still within two possessions until Martin finished off a breakaway slam with just under five minutes to play.

Obiorah scored the next time down the floor, and then Westlake scored again to give the Bobcats a 61-50 lead with 3:19 to go.

The Bobcats biggest lead was 12 points, first coming at 65-53 just inside two minutes. The Bobcats also led 70-58.

UC Merced improved to 3-0 all-time against Park University Gilbert. Park Gilbert is the fifth school in program history that the Bobcats have won their first three games against.

Up next, the Bobcats will play at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Friday, January 27 at 6:30pm PST in Prescott, Ariz.