MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's basketball team is on the road to finish out the regular season and will kick off the trip at La Sierra on Thursday, February 20 at 7:30pm. The regular season finale is at Westcliff on Saturday, February 22. Tipoff time is set for 4:00pm.
UC Merced (17-5, 8-0) can win the California Pacific Conference Regular Season championship outright with one win this week or one Westcliff (11-7, 6-2) loss. La Sierra (4-21, 3-5) can clinch a tournament berth with two wins this week. There are also other scenarios via a tiebreaker for La Sierra to get into the tournament if they don't win twice.
Thursday's live coverage from Alumni Pavilion in Riverside, Calif. is available here: Watch | Live Stats
Saturday's live coverage from Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif., is available here: Watch | Live Stats
The California Pacific Conference Men's Basketball Championships will be held February 28-March 2 inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium in Merced, Calif. Friday's semifinal times are TBD with Sunday's championship set for 4:00pm.
OPENING TIP
UC Merced enters the week on a program-record eleven game-winning streak. The streak dates back to January 2 and the Bobcats are outscoring opponents by an average of 17.1 points per game during the streak.
The Bobcats eleven-game winning streak is tied for the fourth longest active winning streak in the NAIA. The only three teams with a longer winning streak are ranked in the top ten NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll: #1 LSU Alexandria, #3 College of Idaho, and #9 William Woods. Oklahoma Wesleyan (RV) is the team tied with the Bobcats with an eleven-game winning streak.
UC Merced is 8-0 in Cal Pac play. The Bobcats are one of just four Cal Pac men's basketball teams in the last 15 years to start 8-0 in league action. The previous three all swept the Cal Pac Regular Season and Tournament Championships (UAV 2023-24, UAV 2019-20, Cal Maritime 2011-12).
With a win on Thursday night, UC Merced would be 9-0 in Cal Pac play for the first time in program history.
The Bobcats have already secured at least a share of their first ever Cal Pac Regular Season championship. UC Merced can win the league title outright with a win on Thursday night or a Westcliff loss to Simpson.
The Bobcats have won five consecutive road games and are 7-3 on the road overall this season. The Bobcats seven road wins are the second most road wins in program history, behind the program-record eight road wins in the 2022-23 campaign. The Bobcats can break that record with two wins this week.
The Bobcats have won six consecutive home games and are 7-1 inside the Gallo this year. Also of note, the Bobcats are 20-5 in their last 25 home games and 37-13 in their last 50.
UC Merced is looking to sweep the regular season series with La Sierra for the third consecutive season. The Bobcats are going for a regular season sweep over Westcliff for the first time since 2019-20.
The Bobcats are most recently coming off a 79-63 Senior Day win over Simpson on February 15. All three seniors scored in double figures with Myles Haynes and Jayson Wiltz sharing team-high with 14 points. Aidan Sevilla scored ten points and dished out seven assists. UC Merced shot 47% from the floor, held Simpson to just four free throw attempts, and forced 12 Red Hawk turnovers. The Bobcats snapped Simpson's three-game winning streak.
Prior to the Bobcats final Cal Pac slate, UC Merced had a program-record nine nonconference wins. The Bobcats previous record was eight nonconference wins in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
UC Merced played five nonconference games against NCAA Division II competition this season. The Bobcats, who are currently transitioning to NCAA Division II, finished 3-2 against NCAA Division II teams. UC Merced's wins include Stanislaus State, Fresno Pacific, and Menlo College. Prior to beating Menlo on November 15, the Bobcats last NCAA Division II win was 76-68 over Dominican in 2019. All-time, UC Merced is 5-3 under head coach Kevin Pham against NCAA Division II members.
BOBCATS PLAY DEFENSE
The Bobcats are currently ranked fourth nationally allowing just 61.9 points per game. If the Bobcats finish top five, this would mark the third consecutive season as one of top five defenses in the NAIA. UC Merced ranked fourth each of the last two seasons, allowing just 59.7 PPG last year and 62.7 PPG in 2022-23. The 59.7 opponents PPG stands as the program-record. The Bobcats are also ranked eighth in opponents field goal percentage (39.5) and ninth with a 9.7 rebounding advantage.
During the eleven-game winning streak, UC Merced has held seven of its opponents under 40% from the field. Overall, the Bobcats are 11-1 this season when holding opponents under 40% and are 42-8 in their last 50 when doing so.
Since 2019-20, head coach Kevin Pham's led defenses have held opponents under 60 points 51 times and the Bobcats are 47-4 when doing so. In the middle of that stretch was a 29-game winning streak when holding teams under 60. In the same span, UC Merced is 30-4 holding opponents under 55 points and are 16-3 when holding the opposition under 50.
On five occasions this season, UC Merced has snapped an opponents offensive streak:
UC Merced held Montana Tech to 42 points on November 20. Prior, the Orediggers had scored at least 50 points in 109 consecutive games.
UC Merced held The Master's to 60 points on December 5. Prior, TMU had scored more than 60 points in 66 consecutive games.
UC Merced held UC Santa Cruz to 51 points on January 10. Prior, the Banana Slugs scored 55+ points in 20 consecutive games.
UC Merced held Westcliff to 57 points on January 30. Prior, Westcliff had scored 60+ points in 25 straight games.
UC Merced held Cal Maritime to 49 points on February 8. Prior, Cal Maritime had scored 50+ in 38 straight games.
For the first time, the California Pacific Conference is naming an offensive player of the week and a defensive player of the week. UC Merced has claimed a league-high tying five defensive awards, and one offensive. Elijah Charles and Jaron Mertle have both won two weekly accolades, while Austin Dewes has earned the nod once. Cameron Brown was named Cal Pac Offensive Player of the Week on January 27. UC Merced's six total weekly award winners is a program record.
FOR THE LOVE OF NUMBERS
UC Merced has won 33 consecutive games when scoring 80 points or more and have reached that mark on eight occasions this season.
The Bobcats are slashing .494/.383/.712 in victories compared to .363/.292/.722 in defeats.
UC Merced is outrebounding opponents by an average of nine per game. There have been seven occasions this year in which the Bobcats outrebounded the opponent by 15 or more. The biggest rebounding margin was +33 against Lincoln on December 7.
UC Merced outrebounded three straight opponents by 13+ rebounds (Stanton, Menlo, Jessup) for the first time since December 1-4 in 2022.
The Bobcats are 45-8 since the 2022-23 season when outrebounding its opponents and are 12-3 this season when doing so.
UC Merced has won ten straight games when winning the turnover battle and are 14-1 in the last 15 games dating back to last season when winning the turnover battle. UC Merced has won the turnover battle against every team in the league at least once this year, including twice over Simpson.
Elijah Charles and Jaron Mertle have combined for five double-double's this year. Charles vs. Menlo (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Lincoln (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Mertle vs. Stanton (14 points, 11 rebounds), Menlo (12 points, 12 rebounds), and Lincoln (11 points, 10 rebounds).
Three Bobcats are shooting at least 50% from the field, three Bobcats are shooting at least 39% from three-point land, and three are over 80% from the charity stripe.
Earlier in the season, UC Merced had a four-game winning streak from November 23-December 7, where the Bobcats combined to shoot 54% from the field and shot at least 48% in all four games. It marked the first time the Bobcats put together four straight games shooting 48% or better since a stretch in the 2019-20 season.
The Bobcats entered the year with three fifth-year seniors in Josiah Ajiake, Tiler Fears, and Jaron Mertle. The trio have combined to play in 274 career games with their first year with the program being in the shortened 2020-21 season.
The Bobcats have either led or been tied at halftime in 19 of their 22 games this season. The Bobcats are 16-3 in such games. Of the three occasions the Bobcats trailed at halftime, the Bobcats came back to win one of them. The Bobcats trailed 30-18 at halftime before coming back to win 64-57. It marked the biggest second half comeback away from Merced since December 28, 2018.
The Bobcats have shown their depth this season as eleven different players have either led the Bobcats in scoring or finished second on the team in scoring.
Games finishing as the top scorer: Cameron Brown (9), Elijah Charles (2), Jayson Wiltz (3), Jaron Mertle (2), Wiltz/Mertle (1), Wiltz/Haynes (1), Brown/Pawllos Habtom (1), Brown/Wiltz (1), Brown/Wiltz/Habtom (1), Aidan Sevilla/Habtom (1),
Games finishing as second leading scorer: Wiltz (4), Brown (4), Charles (3), Sevilla (3), Mertle (2), Fears (2), Habtom (1), Haynes (1), Ajiake (1) Wiltz/Dewes (1)
Nine Bobcats have scored in double figures this year.
UC Merced opened the season making 20+ free throws in back-to-back games. It marked just the fourth occurrence in program history reaching that output in consecutive games as it also happened once last season, once in 2014-15, and once in 2011-12.
CAL PAC RANKINGS (CAL PAC PLAY ONLY)
Cameron Brown is the Cal Pac's fourth best scorer averaging 14.3 PPG and is top five with an .889 free throw percentage (1st) and 1.4 steals per game (5th). He is also sixth with 2.5 assists per game.
Aidan Sevilla is ranked second in the Cal Pac with 4.3 assists per game. He is also first with a 55.6 three-point field goal percentage and fifth with a .559 field goal percentage overall. Adding to it, he is first with a 3.4 A/TO ratio.
Jaron Mertle is the league's leading rebounder with 7.6 rebounds per game and is ranked second with a .667 field goal percentage.
Jayson Wiltz ranks second with 18 three-point field goals.
Tiler Fears is second with an .850 free throw percentage.
Josiah Ajiake is ranked seventh shooting 42.9% from downtown. Pawllos Habtom is ninth shooting 40.9%.
UC Merced is first in scoring offense (76.6 PPG) and scoring defense (61.8 PPG). The Bobcats also rank first in opponents field goal percentage (39.5%), rebounds per game (33.9), and three-point field goal percentage (39.0). UC Merced is second with a .495 field goal percentage and 62 made three-point field goals.
LEADING THE CHARGE
Head coach Kevin Pham is in his tenth season leading the Bobcats and has a 136-104 career record. He is 91-45 since the start of the 2019-20 season. In conference play, he is 77-49 overall and 51-21 since 2019-20. Pham is assisted by Jaylen Wiltz, Moses Oceguera, and Jonah Cottrell.
Pham is the winningest coach in program history and among all active Cal Pac head coaches. Recently, Pham was named the 2023 Asian Coaches Association Men's Coach of the Year by ACA President Mike Magpayo during the NCAA Men's Final Four weekend in Houston.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS (UC MERCED ALL-TIME)
Cameron Brown is ranked top five in program history with 904 career points (4th), 11.6 PPG (3rd), 328 field goals made (4th), 210 free throws made (2nd), an .837 free throw percentage (3rd), 96 steals (T-4th), and 1.2 steals per game (T-4th). He is also just one double figure scoring game away from becoming just the second player in program history with 50 career 10+ point outings, joining Mason Westlake. Brown is also ranked sixth with 140 assists, tied for eighth with a .454 field goal percentage, and eighth with five double-double's. Earlier this year, Brown broke the program's single-game scoring record with 39 points on December 7 against Lincoln.
Earlier this month, Jaron Mertle became the program's all-time leading rebounder and is now ranked fourth in California Pacific Conference history with 654 career rebounds. Mertle is also ranked top five in UC Merced history with 14 double-double's (3rd), a .509 field goal percentage (3rd), a .360 three-point field goal percentage (T-5th), 6.8 rebounds per game (T-3rd), 54 blocks (4th), and 79 starts (T-2nd). He is top ten with 25.5 minutes per game (8th), 113 assists (9th), and 95 games played (8th).
Tiler Fears is fifth in program history with 146 career assists and is sixth with 182 free throws made. Also of note, he remains on track to play in his 100th career game in the regular season finale at Westcliff on February 22, becoming just the seventh ever Bobcat to make that many appearances.
Jayson Wiltz is currently sixth in program history with 105 career three-pointers and is third with a .391 three-point field goal percentage. He is tied for tenth with 8.6 PPG.
Myles Haynes is sixth in program history with a .472 career field goal percentage.
Josiah Ajiake ranks tenth with 78 career three-point field goals.
Aidan Sevilla is eighth with 2.3 assists per game.
Austin Dewes has cracked the top ten list with 24 career blocks.
STARTING FIVE
Cameron Brown, Jaron Mertle, and Jayson Wiltz have started all 22 games for UC Merced and they combine to average 32.9 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 2.4 SPG.
The Bobcats have mixed up their starting lineup this season, but two different lineups have started at least five games together. The most common lineup of Sevilla/Brown/Wiltz/Mertle/Charles played to a 5-1 record. UC Merced's starting lineup the last five games has been: Sevilla/Brown/Wiltz/Haynes/Mertle. That lineup is 5-0.
Sevilla is 15-2 as a starter for the Bobcats this season.
HISTORIC STRETCH
UC Merced put together a historic four-game winning streak from November 23-December 7. The first three wins in the stretch marked the Bobcats first ever wins against its opponents, while the fourth win saw UC Merced score a program-record 117 points.
The run started with an 86-83 overtime win at Stanislaus State. UC Merced's win over Stan State was the first in school history for any sport. Stan State is the closest four-year university in proximity to UC Merced and the two foes will be conference members beginning in the 2025-26 season. The Bobcats overcame an eight-point deficit inside of six minutes to force overtime and eventually win the game.
A week later, UC Merced knocked off Fresno Pacific University for the first time in ten tries with a dominant 71-51 road win. The 20-point margin of victory was the largest ever against a NCAA Division II team. The Bobcats outrebounded the Sunbirds by 20, their biggest rebounding advantage in a road game since April 7, 2021.
The Bobcats returned home to host No. 7 The Master's University on December 5 and earned their first ever win over a top 10 opponent, beating the Mustangs 76-60. The Bobcats turned in a great defensive outing, snapping TMU's 66-game streak of scoring 60+ points. Offensively, five Bobcats scored in double figures. With the win, UC Merced snapped an eleven-game losing streak against Top 10 opponents and a six-game losing streak against The Master's. It was the Bobcats first ever win for each scenario.
After three program-first wins, the Bobcats made more history as they scored a program-record 117 points in a 117-72 win over Lincoln. The Bobcats also finished with a program-record .641 field goal percentage in the victory. Cameron Brown scored a school-record 39 points finishing 17-24 from the field, while Elijah Charles also made program history becoming the first ever Bobcat to go 10-10 from the floor in a game. Charles finished with 21 points and notched a double-double with ten rebounds.
RPI & STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE. ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
In the February 17 NAIA Men's Basketball RPI Release, UC Merced's RPI ranking was 24th out of 225 teams and the strength of schedule was ranked No. 49 in the country. Only NAIA opponents count for the strength of schedule ranking and four of the nine NAIA opponents head coach Kevin Pham's squad has played are currently ranked Top 15 in the NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll: Arizona Christian (#5), The Master's (#8), Montana Tech (#15). UC Merced played TMU twice, including beating them 76-60 when they were ranked seventh in the nation. Of the five NCAA Division II opponents the Bobcats played on the road, two of them have at least seven wins in their conference, including Stan State and Fresno Pacific.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
La Sierra University is 4-21 on the year and 3-5 in Cal Pac play. They have lost four games in a row, most recently falling 73-59 at Cal Maritime. Prior to the losing streak, La Sierra had won three straight.
Head coach Ethan Lowe is in his third season leading the Golden Eagles and has a record of 18-65, including 16-33 in Cal Pac action. Lowe guided his squad to a Cal Pac Tournament berth last season. Prior to La Sierra, he was an assistant coach at Hope International University.
Mark Boland is one of three Golden Eagles averaging double-figures and leads the squad while ranking tenth in the Cal Pac with 12.8 PPG. He is also top five in the league with 17 three-pointers (3rd) and a .459 three-point field goal percentage (4th). He is sixth with a .532 shooting mark overall.
Maur Tablada averages 12.6 PPG and is top ten in the league with shooting slashes of 52.1 FGP (10th), 50.0 3-PT FGP (3rd), and 81.0 FTP (5th).
Anthony Montya is leading the league with 4.5 assists per game.
Tyler Broughton (10.6 PPG/52.4 FGP) and David Odinigwe (9.4 PPG/5.5 RPG) are also players to watch.
As a team, the Golden Eagles are second in the Cal Pac shooting 35.4% from three-point land and are second with 12.9 assists per game. The Golden Eagles are third with a 46.8 field goal percentage, 31.4 RPG, 6.9 SPG, and 70.6 opponents PPG.
La Sierra is 7-18 all-time against UC Merced.
La Sierra is 3-4 at home this season but is 3-1 in its last four.
SCOUTING WESTCLIFF
Westcliff is 11-7 on the year and are 6-2 in Cal Pac play. They return home after playing five consecutive road games. They have won three straight, most recently beating PUC 80-76 on Feb. 15. Westcliff will host Simpson on Thursday before welcoming the Bobcats.
Westcliff is ranked second in the league scoring 74.4 PPG, but has scored at least 78 points in four straight contests.
Head coach Jerred Cook is in his fifth season leading the Warriors and has a record of 55-38, including 41-20 in Cal Pac play. Cook led Westcliff to a Cal Pac Tournament Championship in 2022-23 and has his team in the conference tournament for the third consecutive season. Familiar with the NAIA, Cook played two years for Bellevue University in Nebraska, helping his team reach the national tournament both times.
Rayven Turner is the Cal Pac's fifth leading scorer with 14.0 PPG, scoring from all over the floor and is ranked fourth with 14 three-pointers and third with an .842 free throw percentage. One of the league's top two-way players, he is tied for first with 1.9 steals per game.
Evan Hoosier is the Warriors post presence leading the Cal Pac with a .758 field goal percentage and 13 total blocks. Hoosier is ranked second with 7.5 RPG and eighth with 13.0 PPG.
Micaiah Hankins is top five in the league with 1.8 SPG (2nd) and 3.3 APG (3rd), while ranking ninth with 12.9 PPG and a .750 free throw percentage.
Aaron Strings (12.5 PPG/53.1 FGP), Jeramiah Paulino (9.6 PPG/60.9 FGP), and Marques Sales (5.5 RPG/5 Blocks) are also players to watch.
As a team, Westcliff is second in the Cal Pac in both scoring (74.4 PPG) and scoring defense (68.4 PPG). They are first with a 51.4 field goal percentage, 3.4 blocks per game, and 13.4 opponents turnovers per game.
Westcliff is 4-5 all-time against UC Merced.
Westcliff is 6-2 at home overall this season with five straight wins.
