MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's basketball team earned a convincing 80-49 win over Cal Maritime on Saturday night to win its tenth consecutive game, setting the longest winning streak within a season in program history.
The Bobcats (16-5, 7-0) are currently one of just four teams in the NAIA with a winning streak of ten or more games, joining No. 2 LSU Alexandria, No. 4 College of Idaho, and No. 14 William Woods.
With the win, the Bobcats officially clinched a spot in the upcoming California Pacific Conference Championships and are two games up on Westcliff with three to play for the Cal Pac Regular Season title.
Jaron Mertle led UC Merced with 16 points while shooting 86% (6-7) from the field. Mertle also became the program's all-time leading rebounder on Saturday night, grabbing seven boards to pass Kingsley Obiorah (2018-23) for first all-time with 642 career rebounds. Mertle's record-breaking rebound came 13 minutes into the game.
Josiah Ajiake scored a season-high 12 points and hit 50% of his shots, including two three-pointers.
Pawllos Habtom recorded eleven points, eight rebounds, and two assists.
All three of the Bobcats double figure scorers also notched a steal.
Aidan Sevilla was good for nine points, five rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
Blake Hudson scored seven points and tied his career-high with four steals and four assists. Jayson Wiltz pitched in seven points, while Cameron Brown and Landon Edmond had five points each.
As a team, UC Merced shot 50% from the floor marking the first time this season shooting 50% or better in back-to-back games. The Bobcats splashed ten triples.
Defensively, UC Merced limited Cal Maritime to just 34% shooting and just 14% from downtown. The Bobcats forced 18 turnovers, the most in a Cal Pac game this year. UC Merced's 49 points allowed were the fewest in league play this year. Cal Maritime had scored at least 50 points in 38 straight games dating back to last season before the Bobcats snapped the streak. Making things more impressive, the Keelhaulers entered the game averaging 80 points per game.
The Bobcats jumped out to a 15-5 lead seven minutes into the game highlighted by six early Mertle points. The two teams traded buckets for the next three minutes, but a Habtom triple extended UC Merced's lead to 12 points at the midway point of the first half, 24-12.
The Bobcats also led by 12 points, 27-15, at the 7:00 mark. Shortly after, Sevilla scored and then Mertle converted a three-point play to give UC Merced a first-half high lead of 32-15 inside five minutes. UC Merced maintained a 38-23 at intermission.
Cal Maritime started the second half on a 9-2 run over the first three and a half minutes to cut the Bobcats advantage down to single digits, 40-32. The Bobcats defense locked in after that, holding Cal Maritime scoreless for the next five minutes and put together nine unanswered points capped by a Habtom triple in transition to go up 49-32.
Ajiake gave UC Merced its first 20-point lead with 9:42 left and then added to it with a three-pointer to make it 60-36. The Bobcats pushed the lead to 26 points with the help of Tiler Fears, 62-36 at the end of a 13-2 run. UC Merced's lead was trimmed down to 19 points with six minutes to go, but Cal Maritime didn't get any closer than that.
Head coach Kevin Pham's squad outscored the Keelhaulers 18-6 over the final six minutes to finalize the Bobcats biggest margin of victory over Cal Maritime in the 30 all-time meetings. Seven different Bobcats scored in the final six-minute stretch, including Edmond who scored five points.
The Bobcats have now won five straight games over Cal Maritime, the Bobcats longest winning streak over CSUM in the series history.
Up next, UC Merced will host Simpson for Senior Night on Saturday, February 15. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
