MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's basketball team fell 79-65 to Cal Poly Pomona on Friday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
Friday night marked the Bobcats (3-4, 1-2) first CCAA home game and first game overall since December 6.
Elijah Charles led the Bobcats with 17 points and nine rebounds. He shot 80% (4-5) from the floor and battled through the Broncos physicality to earn eight trips to the foul line. He cashed in a career-high nine free throws. Charles also tied his season-high's with two steals and two blocks.
Jaden Hubbard scored double-digits for the third straight game as he finished with 12 points, including half of his scoring output from beyond the arc. The freshman grabbed five rebounds and was credited for two assists and a steal.
Cyprus Graham tallied eleven points, four rebounds, two assists, and a career-high two steals.
Myles Haynes pitched in a season-high eight points. Sterling McClanahan had eight points of his own, while Jon Taylor had three assists.
Pawllos Habtom finished with seven points, four rebounds, and a season-high three steals.
Cal Poly Pomona shot a 53% in its victory.
After the Bobcats scored first, CPP followed with an 11-0 run over the next five minutes and then took its first double-figure lead of the game at 16-6 just before the under-12 media timeout.
The Bobcats deficit was between 9-14 points until the 4:00 mark of the first half when Graham cut it to eight, 30-22. The Broncos countered with a 9-0 run to go up by a then game-high 17 points, 39-22 inside the final minute of the first half. Hubbard and Haynes scored before intermission to make it 39-26 going into the locker room.
The teams traded buckets to start the second half as the Bobcats trailed 51-35 five minutes in. UC Merced cut into the deficit with a 7-0 spurt highlighted by a McClanahan three-pointer to get within ten points, 51-42 with 12:34 to go.
UC Merced remained within striking distance as the game got inside ten minutes and Habtom worked the Bobcats deficit down to seven points with 6:03 left.
However, Cal Poly Pomona's leading scorer Malcom Bell answered with a momentum-shifting one-handed slam. Bell's dunk was the first of four straight dunks for the Broncos and their 8-0 run more than doubled their advantage, 71-56 with 4:16 to go. CPP led by as many as 18 points, 78-60, on its way to a 2-1 start in CCAA play.
The Bobcats were limited to just three three-point field goals, but did made a season-high 20 free throws. UC Merced forced 14 turnovers but committed 19.
Looking ahead, UC Merced will host Cal State San Bernardino on Sunday, December 21. Tipoff inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium is scheduled for 3:00pm.
