IRVINE, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team ended their season with a 61-51 loss to Westcliff University on Saturday afternoon at the Jordan Lawley Facility.
The Bobcats (11-16, 10-10) finish the Cal Pac schedule with a .500 record or better for the ninth consecutive season. Saturday's game was a win and in situation to the Cal Pac Championships as both UC Merced and Westcliff entered the day at 10-9 and playing for the conference's final postseason berth.
Sarina Nagra led the Bobcats efforts with 17 points and made three triples.
Niamey Guillory tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and a block
Imani Johnson and Leilani Blecha scored six points each. Johnson also grabbed seven rebounds, while Blecha scored her six points with two three-pointers. Nicole Lukito finished with six rebounds.
Westcliff was led by Janelle Ramos' 19 points on 8-12 shooting.
UC Merced and Westcliff traded baskets for the first five minutes and Westcliff led 8-6 at the midway point of the first quarter. The Warriors grabbed the first two possession of either side 90 seconds later at 10-6 before the Bobcats pulled even with four straight highlighted by a Johnson three-point play. Then, Guillory recorded a three-point play of her own and UC Merced led 15-14 at the end of one.
Head coach Kellie Bernard's team went up 20-16 but Westcliff responded with an 8-0 run over the next four minutes. Nagra stopped the Bobcats scoring drought but the Bobcats couldn't get into a rhythm before halftime and trailed 31-26 at intermission.
The Bobcats fell behind by seven points at 36-29 90 seconds into the third quarter and by as many as eight points at the midway point, 43-35. Nagra hit a triple to cut into the deficit and then Guillory brought the Bobcats back to tie the game 45-45 with a minute to go before the final period. Westcliff hit two free throws at the end of the third to carry a 47-45 lead into the decisive fourth quarter.
UC Merced scored the first five points of the fourth with a Lukito free throw and layups from Jazzy Beltran and Nagra to go up 50-47 two minutes in. But, Nagra's basket was the Bobcats final of the game.
Despite that, the Bobcats defense was sharp over the next few minutes and the game was tied 50-50 inside of four minutes. Westcliff eventually broke through with baskets on three straight possessions and finished the game on a 14-1 run overall to claim the Cal Pac's sixth and final postseason spot.
UC Merced finished the day shooting 29% from the field, 19% from downtown, and 52% from the free throw line.
The Bobcats did win the turnover battle and held Westcliff to just one three-pointer, but got outrebounded by 13.
Stay up to date with UC Merced women's basketball in the offseason by visiting ucmercedbobcats.com and following the Bobcats on social media at @ucmercedwbb. Next up, the All-Cal Pac awards wills be announced over the weekend.
