MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team clinched at least a share of the California Pacific Conference Regular Season title following a 78-62 Senior Day win over Simpson on Saturday afternoon inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
The Bobcats (13-8, 8-0) can win the league title outright for the first time since 2015-16 with a win at La Sierra on February 20. Saturday's win was also the Bobcats tenth in a row, marking the third ten-game winning streak in program history and first since the 2021-22 campaign.
Simpson fell to 6-2 in Cal Pac play with its only two losses coming to the Bobcats.
The Bobcats, who led by double figures for 30 minutes of clock time, shot .478 from the floor and forced 25 Simpson turnovers. The field goal percentage is tied for the best in conference play this season, while the 25 forced turnovers are the second most of the year. Head coach Kellie Bernard's team collected 18 steals.
Nicole Lukito led the Bobcats with 23 points, ten rebounds, six assists, and a career-high five steals. She shot 64% from the field in her seventh career 20+ point outing. Lukito's double-double was her 12th in a row.
Megan Williams tallied career-high's of 20 points and five assists on her senior day. She also filled up the stat sheet with six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. With her two blocks, she moved ahead of Jecenia Trinidad for ninth in program history with 21 career blocks.
Sarina Nagra added eleven points, three assists, and two steals.
Gabby Martini, who was also celebrated prior to the game for senior day, finished with nine points, a season-high tying five rebounds, and a career-high tying two steals.
Other notables include seven points and seven rebounds from Paloma Ramirez, four assists from Mariah Flores, and three steals from Leilani Blecha.
The Bobcats jumped out to a 10-2 lead four minutes into the game scoring on five of their first eight possessions and forcing five early turnovers. UC Merced led 16-9 with 2:39 left in the first quarter when Nagra hit a three-pointer in the corner to extend the lead to double-digits. Her triple was also the start of a 9-1 quarter-ending run and the Bobcats held a 27-10 lead at the end of one.
The second quarter was a game of runs. Simpson turned in a 9-3 run to start the frame, but the Bobcats responded right back with 11 unanswered points over the next five minutes inspired by the front court tandem of Lukito and Williams. The duo scored all 11 points in the run that put UC Merced up 41-19. The Red Hawks broke their five-minute scoring drought with 2:34 left in the first half and climbed back in the game with a 9-1 half-ending run to pull within 14 points at intermission, 42-28.
Both teams were slow offensively to start the second half as the Bobcats maintained a double-digit lead midway through the third quarter at 49-34. Then, the Bobcats used a 6-0 spurt to go up by 20+ points again. Shortly after, Ramirez buried a three-pointer to put UC Merced up by a game-high 24 points, 60-36 with 1:47 to go in the quarter. Her three-pointer capped off an 11-2 run overall. The Bobcats didn't score over the closing 90 seconds of the period, but still went into the fourth quarter ahead 60-38.
The Bobcats led 66-47 with five minutes left before Simpson stormed back with a last ditch effort and used a 15-2 surge to pull all the way back within two possessions. The Red Hawks used just two and a half minutes of clock time in their valiant effort, cutting the Bobcats lead to 68-62 with 2:30 still to play. UC Merced ended the Red Hawks hopes over the next minute as Lukito had a free run to the basket and then Blecha poked the ball away from the Red Hawks ball handler and threw it ahead to an open Nagra in transition to put UC Merced up 72-62 inside 90 seconds. The Bobcats got a stop on the other end of the floor and then beat the Red Hawks press getting it up to Williams for the dagger. Overall, UC Merced finished the game on a 10-0 run to sweep the season series against Simpson for the first time since 2021-22.
UC Merced also improved to 12-12 all-time against Simpson.
Up next, the Bobcats begin their final road trip of the regular season at La Sierra University on Thursday, February 20. Tipoff from Alumni Pavilion in Riverside, Calif., is scheduled for 5:30pm.
