MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's basketball team secured at least a share of the California Pacific Conference Regular Season championship with a 79-63 Senior Day win over Simpson on Saturday inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
The Bobcats (17-5, 8-0) can win the league title outright for the first time in program history with a win at La Sierra or a Westcliff loss to Simpson on February 20. Saturday's win was also the Bobcats program-record eleventh in a row.
Seniors Myles Haynes, Jayson Wiltz, and Aidan Sevilla all scored in double figures for the Bobcats after being celebrated prior to the game.
Haynes scored a career-high 14 points on 78% (7-9) shooting. He also grabbed four rebounds, notched a steal, and blocked a shot.
Jayson Wiltz hit two three-pointers on his way to a 14-point night.
Aidan Sevilla put up ten points to go along with seven assists, a career-high six rebounds, three steals, and a block. Saturday marked his first career game scoring at least ten points while dishing out seven assists.
Cameron Brown had eight points and three assists, while Jaron Mertle was good for seven points and posted his fifth double-digit rebounding game with 12 boards. Pawllos Habtom and Blake Hudson also scored seven points. Hudson was 3-3 from the floor while supporting his offensive output with two steals.
Saturday saw seven lead changes in the first six minutes before the Bobcats started to create separation with a 13-3 run capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Hudson and Tiler Fears. The Bobcats run put them up 21-12 midway through the first half.
UC Merced took their first double-digit lead shortly after at 23-13 but the lead was cut in half by Simpson with 3:48 to go in the first half. Wiltz responded with a three-pointer and then Haynes scored in the paint to get the lead back to ten points. UC Merced led 37-27 at intermission.
The Bobcats took over the game with a 16-0 run to start the second half. Brown scored six points in the run, including a two-handed slam on a fastbreak that was made possible due to a Sevilla block. Austin Dewes threw down a dunk shortly after and the Bobcats led 53-29 with 14:30 still to play.
Head coach Kevin Pham's teams lead was between 21-24 points for the next five minutes before a Habtom three-pointer extended the advantage to a game-high 26 points, 63-37. If the game wasn't out of reach yet, Haynes put the exclamation point on the victory with a senior day dunk inside of three minutes as the Bobcats led 79-56. Simpson scored the games final seven points, resulting in the 79-63 final.
UC Merced finished the night shooting 47% from the floor, 29% from three, and 70% from the charity stripe. Simpson shot 40% from the floor and only attempted four free throws.
The Bobcats committed a season-low eight fouls. The Red Hawks four free throw attempts marked the fewest by any UC Merced opponent in the last five years.
UC Merced also committed just six turnovers and forced 12.
With the win, the Bobcats swept the season series with Simpson for the third consecutive year. UC Merced improved to 15-11 all-time against Simpson.
Up next, UC Merced will play at La Sierra University on Thursday, February 20. Tipoff from Alumni Pavilion in Riverside, Calif., is scheduled for 7:30pm.
