RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Behind a red-hot offense, the University of California, Merced women's basketball team beat La Sierra University 90-87 on Thursday night to clinch the outright 2024-25 California Pacific Conference Regular Season Championship.
The Bobcats (14-8, 9-0) league title is their first since 2015-16 and UC Merced will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
Also with the win, UC Merced extended its winning streak to eleven games, one shy of tying the longest winning streak in program history.
The Bobcats shot a program-record tying 60.3% (35-58) from the field on Thursday night, while also connecting on a season-high eleven three-point field goals and hitting 55% of their attempts from deep. The field goal % tied the record from November 4, 2018, while the three-point field goal % was the best in five years.
Nicole Lukito led the Bobcats with a career-high 28 points, including knocking down the go-ahead shot with 35 seconds left and then sinking two free throws with the shot clock off. She also neared a triple-double with ten rebounds and nine assists, but did secure her 13th consecutive double-double and her program single-season record tying 19th of the campaign. More on her offense, she shot 64% (11-17) from the field and 85% (6-7) from the charity stripe. She took over sole possession of tenth on the program's all-time scoring list with 650 career points.
Leilani Blecha scored 19 points while shooting 50% (4-8) from downtown. She also recorded two steals.
Sarina Nagra had 14 points, a steal, and a block. Like Blecha, Nagra also had the hot hand from downtown and hit four three-pointers on six attempts, shooting 66% from long range.
Megan Williams made her first six shots, finishing with 12 points and an .857 field goal percentage (6-7) overall. She is one of just two players in program history to shoot over 85% twice in her career with a minimum of six makes. Also impressive, Williams recorded a career-high eight assists and had two steals.
Other notables include seven points and three rebounds from Paloma Ramirez and six assists from Elise LeBeau.
The Bobcats looked like the team ready to secure the league title in the early goings, jumping out to a 12-4 lead less than four minutes in and extending their lead to double-digits before the media timeout. The Bobcats first 12 points all came via the three-pointer. Leading 22-11 shortly after, Blecha scored the Bobcats next eight points to push her team's lead up 16 at 30-14. However, La Sierra hit two triples in the final 36 seconds of the quarter to cut the Bobcats lead down to 30-20. The Bobcats shot 80% in the frame and forced five turnovers.
La Sierra continued to chip away at the deficit and came within five points quickly in the second quarter. The Bobcats didn't let La Sierra get closer than that the rest of the quarter and used a 9-2 run to create the separation again, capped by a Lukito offensive rebound putback. UC Merced extended its lead to 15 points inside of 30 seconds and carried a 49-37 lead into intermission.
The Bobcats forced a turnover and got to the free throw line to begin the third quarter, but the Golden Eagles started clicking on all cylinders after that and put together a 17-4 run over the next five minutes to take their first lead since it was 2-0. La Sierra's lead came at 55-54 midway through the quarter. Kadyn Mew, the game's leading scorer with 32 points at the end of the night, had eleven points in the run. Williams put the Bobcats back in front, which marked one of four lead changes in the final minutes of the third quarter. There were also four ties in the same timespan and it was tied 68-68 heading into the final period. Mew finished with 21 points in the third quarter.
La Sierra scored the first four points of the fourth quarter and pushed its lead to a team-high six points with 6:18 to go, 78-72. Blecha countered with a three-pointer and UC Merced held La Sierra scoreless for the next three minutes. Blecha hit a jumper shortly after and then Lukito converted two free throws to put the Bobcats in front 79-78 with 4:27 remaining. Ramirez kept it going for UC Merced with a layup, capping off a 9-0 UC Merced run. La Sierra snapped its scoring drought at the free throw line and then LeBeau splashed a key triple as UC Merced led 86-81 inside two minutes. The Golden Eagles weren't done yet, coming back to tie the game 86-86 under a minute highlighted by a three-point play from Mew.
Looking for the go-ahead shot, the Bobcats went to Lukito in the paint and the Cal Pac Player of the Year candidate delivered once again, hitting a turn around jumper which ended up being the game-winner putting her team ahead 88-86 with 35 seconds left. La Sierra wasn't able to tie it up next time down the floor, being forced to foul. Lukito hit two free throws, and then the Bobcats secured the win and the league title with two more defensive stops.
Also, the win gave the Bobcats their first road win over La Sierra since 2020.
UC Merced forced 13 La Sierra turnovers, but the Golden Eagles 87 points marked the most by an opposing Cal Pac team since February 11, 2023.
Up next, UC Merced will finish the regular season against Westcliff on Saturday, February 22. Tipoff from Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif., is scheduled for 2:00pm.
