VALLEJO, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's basketball team improved to 3-0 in California Pacific Conference play with a 54-47 win at Cal Maritime on Wednesday night.
The Bobcats (5-2, 3-0) have now won their first three league games in three of the last four years and are currently one of just three remaining unbeaten teams in Cal Pac action this year.
Defensively, the Bobcats reached a new program-first as they have allowed fewer than 50 points in three consecutive games for the first time ever. Head coach Kevin Pham's team allowed no more than 25 points in either half on Wednesday night and limited the Keelhaulers to just 31.4% shooting.
UC Merced erased an early 12-point deficit to earn the victory. The Bobcats then trailed 22-16 at halftime before grabbing their first lead of the night five minutes into the second half after a Chris Bramah triple. UC Merced led for good after breaking a 32-32 tie with 11:44 to play.
Cameron Brown sealed the game for the Bobcats, making all six of his foul shots inside of 30 seconds.
Brown finished with a season-high 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. He knocked down two of his four attempts from beyond the arc.
Chris Bramah added ten points, five rebounds, and two steals.
Jayson Wiltz pitched in seven points. Jaron Mertle, Tiler Fears, and DeDrick Martin scored six points each. Martin reached six by converting three of his four shots. Mertle hauled in eight rebounds.
Other notables include five rebounds from Austin Dewes, four assists from Skylar Robinson, and three assists from Fears.
The Bobcats trailed 9-0 after four minutes and fell behind by double figures shortly after at 13-2. The biggest deficit was 17-5 inside of eight minutes, and with the Bobcats win it marked UC Merced's biggest comeback win of the early season.
A Wiltz three-pointer gave the Bobcats some life and then Bramah cut into the deficit some more after a Cal Maritime turnover and it was two-possession game, 17-11, approaching the final five minutes of the first half. The Bobcats pulled within three points at 19-16 but a Cal Maritime triple as time expired put the Bobcats behind 22-16 at intermission.
UC Merced started the second half with five quick points highlighted by a Brown triple. A few minutes later, it was a Bramah triple to give the Bobcats their first lead of the evening. Then behind 32-29, Bramah scored in the paint and Wiltz drew a foul one possession later and knocked down both foul shots to put UC Merced back in front. The Bobcats would lead for the final 11:44.
UC Merced extended their lead to 38-32 with just under ten minutes to play and also led by six at 44-38 with four and a half left. Soon after, Fears fed Martin down low and the Bobcats had their biggest lead of the night of eight points at 46-38.
Cal Maritime would come within a possession with 90 seconds left but Fears answered with a tough layup. Paired with a few defensive stops, Brown did the rest of the Bobcats work at the charity stripe.
With the help of Brown, the Bobcats tied their season-high with 17 made free throws and shot 68% from the foul line overall.
UC Merced shot 32.7% from the field and 23.8% from downtown.
The Bobcats have now won the last three road games against the Keelhaulers in Vallejo after winning just three times in their first 12 tries.
Up next, UC Merced will play at Pacific Union College on Friday, December 8 at 2:00pm in Angwin, Calif.
