MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's basketball team turned in a historic defensive performance, allowing just 34 points in a 61-34 win over Park University Gilbert on Thursday night. It marked the first time in program history where the Bobcats held an opponent under 40 points.
The Bobcats (15-7, 13-4) stifled Park, holding the Bucs to just a .218 field goal percentage, forced 15 turnovers, and won the rebounding battle 43-31.
UC Merced allowed 20 points in the first half and just 14 in the second half. Park went without a field goal for the final six minutes of the game and made just one in the final ten minutes.
Cameron Brown led the Bobcats offensively with 18 points and made a career-high six three-pointers. He is just the ninth Bobcat in program history with at least six triples in a game and Brown reached that mark shooting 67% (6-9). Also of note, his 18-point night gives him 20 double figure scoring games on the year and he joins just Aki Chambers, Kingsley Obiorah, and Mason Westlake in the category. He also passed Jonah Cottrell for eighth on the program's single-season record list with 352 points in 2023-24. Brown also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked a shot.
Jaron Mertle tallied 12 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists. It was his fourth double-double in the last eight games and his fifth of the season. Similar to Brown, Mertle also joined elite company and joins just Obiorah, Chambers, and George Idehen as the fourth Bobcat in program history with at least five double-double's in a campaign. Bigger picture, Mertle passed Ryan Haywood for fifth in program history with 439 career rebounds and moved into a tie for fourth with eight career double-double's.
Tiler Fears added 12 points on 62.5% shooting to go along with four rebounds and a steal.
Myles Haynes grabbed a career-high seven rebounds, scored four points, and blocked a shot. Chris Bramah was good for five points and four rebounds.
Evin Goodwin scored four points in his collegiate debut, knocking down a three-pointer and hitting a free throw.
While UC Merced led for the entire second half and by double figures for the final 13 minutes, the first half was tightly contested. The Bucs scored the first five points, which was followed by a 5-0 UC Merced spurt, but the Bobcats didn't grab their first lead of the game until 15-14 midway through the first half following a Brown triple.
The Bobcats were held scoreless for the next five minutes but only allowed three points in the stretch and Fears stopped the scoring drought with a triple that put UC Merced up 18-17. That marked the final lead change of the game and UC Merced led 23-20 at halftime.
Brown started the second half with a three-pointer to extend the lead to two possessions for the first time. Then leading 28-24, Bramah splashed a triple which started the game-ending 33-10 run over the final 16 minutes. A Brown triple had the Bobcats up 40-26 with 13 minutes to play and then a Harmon three-pointer gave UC Merced a 45-28 lead inside of ten minutes.
UC Merced allowed just one field goal in the final ten minutes and none inside of six minutes. Bramah caught an alley-oop with eight minutes left and then Mertle scored five straight points, including a three-pointer to put his team up 52-30 with 6:31 on the clock.
UC Merced led 57-32 with two and a half minutes left after Goodwin fed Haynes down low. Goodwin then capped off the Bobcats scoring with a three-pointer which put his team up 61-32.
The Bobcats finished with a season-high tying eleven three-pointers on the night and shot 39.3% from deep. The Bobcats shot 38.3% from the field.
UC Merced assisted 13 of their 23 made baskets and improved to 5-0 all-time against the Bucs.
Up next, the Bobcats host Benedictine University Mesa for Senior Night on Saturday, February 17. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium in Merced, Calif. A senior night ceremony will take place prior to the game.
