MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team fell just short of a third consecutive Cal Pac win, losing 63-60 to Simpson University on Tuesday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
Emily Perez led the Bobcats (3-9, 2-3) with 20 points, her second 20-point outing of conference play. The junior, who missed the last two games due to an injury, shot 90% (9-10) from the free throw line and made three triples. Perez also had three assists.
Jazzy Beltran scored a season-high 12 points to go along with three assists and three steals.
Nicole Lukito grabbed 18 rebounds and scored nine points. Her 18 rebounds makes her the second player in program history with at least 18 boards on multiple occasions. The freshman has accomplished that feat in back-to-back conference games.
Leilani Blecha added eight points and two steals, while Niamey Guillory grabbed six rebounds and scored four points.
UC Merced's defense was stifling early on and the Bobcats allowed just two field goals in the first eight and a half minutes. The Bobcats led 11-4 but Simpson finished the final 90 seconds of the opening quarter strong and a 7-0 run tied the game up at 11-11.
Simpson followed with back-to-back three-pointers to open up the second frame and their 13-0 run over both quarters put them up 17-11. Blecha stopped the Red Hawks run with a three-pointer and then Beltran scored four straight points to put the Bobcats back in front.
The Bobcats led 22-21 midway through the second quarter and it was tied 25-25 inside of three minutes. A Perez three-pointer started a final first half push for the Bobcats and head coach Kellie Bernard's team carried a 33-28 lead into the locker rooms.
The Bobcats maintained their lead for the first six minutes of the third quarter before Simpson tied the game at 43-43 with 3:32 to play in the period. Five lead changes followed in the next three minutes with the Bobcats taking the final lead of the quarter and extending it to as many as five points, 52-47, with the help of Sarina Nagra.
Scoring was hard to come by in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter and a Simpson 7-0 run over the first five minutes gave the Red Hawks a 54-52 lead. Beltran stopped the scoring drought to tie the game, but then Simpson's Natalie Brown countered with a triple to put her team back in front. Simpson scored to make it 59-55 with 2:27 remaining, giving the Bobcats their biggest deficit since early in the second quarter. Neither team scored again until the final minute when Simpson extended their lead to 61-55.
It was 62-57 with 38 seconds left before Perez buried a three-pointer to cut the deficit down to two points, 62-60. UC Merced sent Simpson to the free throw line and after the Red Hawks split the free throws, the Bobcats got the basketball back with 17.3 seconds left needing a three-pointer to force overtime. However, Beltran's three-point shot was blocked as time expired.
UC Merced finished the night shooting 29.6% from the field, 26.3% from beyond the arc, and 76.7% (23-30) from the charity stripe. The Bobcats made free throws and free throw attempts were their most since the season opener.
Despite the loss, the Bobcats outrebounded Simpson 35-29.
Up next, UC Merced will face the reigning California Pacific Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champion University of Antelope Valley on Thursday, January 4 at the Pioneer Event Center in Lancaster, Calif. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30pm.
