REDDING, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team downed Simpson 61-49 to win its fifth consecutive game on Saturday afternoon inside the James M. Grant Center.
The Bobcats (9-8, 3-0) five-game winning streak is the longest under third-year head coach Kellie Bernard. The Bobcats 3-0 start in Cal Pac play is the third in the last four seasons.
Sarina Nagra led the Bobcats in scoring with 22 points on 60% (6-10) shooting, including hitting a trio of three-pointers to tie Cierra McClain for eighth in program history with 64 career three-pointers. Nagra's 20-point game was her second straight and third in her last five outings.
Nicole Lukito was solid with 16 points and 16 rebounds for her seventh consecutive double-double. It was her fourth consecutive 16p and 16r game. The sophomore reached her scoring output in part due to shooting 83% (10-12) from the charity stripe. She played all 40 minutes and with her efforts, Lukito moved up both the Cal Pac and UC Merced record books. She passed Jessup's Sarah Peterson (2012-14) for fourth all-time with 27 career double-double's, while also passing UC Merced's Brittany Martinez for third all-time with 589 career rebounds.
Jazzy Beltran contributed nine points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals off the bench in her first game since January 2 due to an injury.
Megan Williams was good for eight points and nine rebounds. Leilani Blecha had two steals, while Mariah Flores blocked a shot.
UC Merced's defense was key in the victory and the Bobcats snapped Simpson's streak of scoring at least 50 points in 35 straight home games dating back to January 22, 2022. Simpson had also won eight straight home games dating back to last season.
UC Merced held Simpson to just a .298 field goal percentage and a .211 three-point field goal percentage. The Bobcats also outrebounded the Red Hawks 46-26, the Bobcats fifth straight game outrebounding their opponent by 19+.
After Simpson scored the first five points of the afternoon, Bernard's squad answered with an 11-3 run over the next five minutes capped by a Paloma Ramirez layup. A little later, the game was tied 11-11 but Lukito scored four straight points to put the Bobcats back in front. The Bobcats led 17-11 before Simpson's Nikki Thompson beat the buzzer with a half court shot to bring her team within a possession.
A Nagra three-pointer two minutes into the second quarter had UC Merced on top by a then game-high seven points, 25-18. Though, Simpson had another response with eight unanswered points to take a 26-25 lead. The 8-0 run occurred in just two minutes of action. After Williams scored the next four points, scoring was hard to come by for both teams the rest of the half. Each team only scored two points over the final five minutes as UC Merced held onto a 31-28 lead at intermission.
The Bobcats opened the second half with a 12-2 surge over the first six and a half minutes with Beltran scoring seven of the Bobcats points to put her team up 42-30. The only two Red Hawk points in the stretch was the only Red Hawk field goal the entire third quarter. Simpson managed to hit five free throws before the quarter ended. The Bobcats also went without a field goal over the final 3:50, but still led 44-35 heading to the final frame.
UC Merced pushed its lead back to double digits at 51-40 inside of five minutes remaining. Then, Simpson pressured the Bobcats one more time scoring six in a row to pull within two possessions with 1:39 on the clock. Needing a big bucket, the Bobcats went to Nagra who buried a triple in what ended up being the dagger putting UC Merced up 54-46 inside of 75 seconds. Simpson made UC Merced make free throws the rest of the game and the Bobcats did just that hitting six foul shots in a row and 7-8 in the final minute to win the game 61-49.
Overall, UC Merced finished the afternoon shooting 82% (19-23) at the foul line. The 19 made free throws marked the Bobcats most since January 27, 2024.
The Bobcats snapped a four-game losing streak to Simpson.
Up next, the Bobcats host Westcliff University on Thursday, January 30 at 5:30pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
