MERCED, Calif. – Cameron Brown tied the program's single-game scoring record with a career-high 36 points and the University of California, Merced men's basketball team earned a signature win, 85-68 over University of Saint Katherine on Saturday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
Brown's 36 points tied the Bobcats (9-6, 7-3) scoring record originally set on January 8, 2013 by Aki Chambers. Prior to tonight, no Bobcat had scored at least 35 points in the last decade. The sophomore shot 72.7% from the floor and made both of his three-point attempts to hit his career-best scoring mark. He scored 20 points in the first half and also scored the Bobcats final ten points, including a breakaway one-handed slam to tie the record. Brown also grabbed eight rebounds and had a steal.
The Bobcats win came over a USK team who entered the night 15-2 overall and 8-1 in California Pacific Conference play.
UC Merced opened the game on an 18-6 run and never took their foot off the gas, scoring 85 points, marking their second most in a game this season.
Along with Brown, Chris Bramah was one of five double figure scorers for the Bobcats and he finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Bramah also hit a three-pointer for the tenth consecutive game.
Jaron Mertle recorded his second double-double of the year with ten points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Overall, his double-double with the fifth of his career making him one of just seven Bobcats in program history to accomplish that feat.
Jayson Wiltz scored ten points and made a pair of three-pointers, while Tiler Fears added ten points and two assists. With his two assists, Fears passed Matt Laflin for ninth in program history with 100 career assists.
UC Merced's 18-6 run to start the game was highlighted by back-to-back triples from Bramah and Fears, and Brown capped off the run with his fourth field goal in the stretch that spanned over the first six minutes.
USK responded to pull within six points midway through the first half, but a few minutes later Fears converted a three-point play to get the Bobcats back up by double figures. UC Merced led 34-23 with three minutes to go in the period and carried a 42-30 lead into the locker rooms in an attempt to knock off USK for the first time since 2019.
The Bobcats opened up the lead to 17 points less than five minutes into the second half after Jaron Mertle drilled a straightaway three-pointer. The lead shrunk to seven points with ten minutes to play, 58-51, but Wiltz splashed another triple out of a UC Merced timeout and the Bobcats led by double figures the rest of the night.
Bramah followed with four straight Bobcat points and then after back and forth scoring, a Brown three-point play put UC Merced up 74-58 with 5:55 on the clock. His three-point play was the start of him scoring 13 of the Bobcats final 14 points to seal the win. His final ten points were made up two three-pointers, a tough layup inside, and the steal and slam to put the exclamation point on the victory.
UC Merced finished the night shooting 51.6% from the floor, a season-high tying 41.2% from downtown, and a season-best 85.7% (12-14) from the free throw line.
The Bobcats biggest lead was 22 points at 85-63 inside of a minute.
Looking ahead, UC Merced will host Pacific Union College on Thursday, January 25 at 7:30pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
