WILBERFORCE, Ohio – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team scored the last eleven points to finish their dominant fourth quarter and earn a 69-58 road win over Wilberforce University on Thursday night in the 2023-24 season opener.
The Bobcats (1-0) trailed 63-55 with eight and a half minutes left before ending the game on a 24-5 run to knock off the Bulldogs. Trailing 58-57, Nicole Lukito got to the foul line and cashed in both free throws to start the Bobcats 11-0 final surge over the final two and a half minutes. Leilani Blecha followed with a three-pointer.
Emily Perez and Paloma Ramirez shared game-high with 16 points. Perez splashed three triples and made seven of her eight foul shots. She also grabbed four rebounds.
Ramirez hit two three-pointers and was also solid from the charity stripe shooting 86% (6-7).
Sarina Nagra scored nine points in her collegiate debut, while Lukito finished with eight points and seven rebounds. Imani Johnson scored seven points. All three freshmen made at least one three and the Bobcats hit eleven triples overall.
Nagra became just the eighth player in program history to score nine points or more in her collegiate debut.
Niamey Guillory pitched in six points.
UC Merced trailed 9-4 early on before erasing the deficit to grab their first lead of the season. Ramirez scored five straight points to tie the game and then Nagra's first career points via the three-ball put the Bobcats up 12-9.
A series of lead changes followed but once Wilberforce broke a 19-19 tie, the home team led for the rest of the first half. It was 26-25 Wilberforce in front at intermission.
Out of the break, Ramirez hit a triple to put the Bobcats back in front. The Bobcats also led 30-28 and 33-32 before Wilberforce garnered some momentum and put together their best stretch of the night to turn the one-possession deficit into a 50-41 lead with three minutes to go before the fourth quarter. A pair of Perez free throws were the only points the rest of the third period.
The Bobcats trailed 53-45 prior to their final push with eight and a half minutes left. Perez got it started at the charity stripe, and then buried a three-pointer the next trip down the floor to make it a one-possession game. Neither team scored for the next two minutes. Later on with three minutes left and trailing 57-54, Nagra buried a three to pull even. Wilberforce went back in front with a free throw before the Bobcats 11-0 game-ending run. Four different Bobcats scored in the final surge with Lukito leading the way with four points.
The victory marked the Bobcats first season-opening win since 2018 and their first season-opening road win since 2017.
Wilberforce University is the furthest east the Bobcats have traveled in program history.
Up next, UC Merced will stay in Ohio and play River States Conference Preseason Favorite University of Rio Grande on Saturday, November 4 at 3:00pm PST.
