MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team defeated Cal Maritime 71-43 on Saturday afternoon inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
With the victory, the Bobcats (13-8, 7-0) extended their winning streak to nine games and remain the only undefeated team in Cal Pac play with three games remaining.
Paloma Ramirez highlighted the Bobcats victory with 15 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and second of her career. She also had four assists and held team-high with three steals.
Sarina Nagra scored 15 points and collected two steals to extend her double figure scoring streak to a career-long six games.
Nicole Lukito tallied eleven points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Saturday marked her eleventh consecutive double-double, 18th overall in her sophomore campaign.
Mariah Flores pitched in eleven points and five rebounds.
Other notables include six points and seven rebounds from Megan Williams, six points and two steals from Leilani Blecha, and six rebounds from Sydney Corder Boyd.
Defensively, UC Merced's 43 points allowed are tied for the second fewest points allowed in a game this season. The Bobcats limited Cal Maritime to just a .262 field goal percentage, held a +29 rebounding advantage, and forced 17 turnovers. The Bobcats also limited Cal Maritime to just six free throw attempts.
Both teams had 6-0 runs in the opening four minutes, starting with the Bobcats to begin the game before Cal Maritime used their spurt to pull even. Shortly after tied 9-9, Blecha and Nagra hit back-to-back three-pointers to put the Bobcats back up by six points. The Bobcats led by as many as eight in the first quarter and held a 20-14 advantage going into the second.
A Flores three-point play got the Bobcats going in the second quarter and then a Williams baseline jumper put UC Merced up by double figures for the first time, 25-14. The Keelhaulers cut the Bobcats lead down to two possessions at the midway point of the period, but the Bobcats responded with a 9-2 run over the final four and a half minutes of the first half to hold a 36-24 lead at intermission. Four different Bobcats scored in the stretch capped by a Lukito layup.
UC Merced and Cal Maritime traded buckets for the first five minutes of the third quarter before head coach Kellie Bernard's team owned the next five, led by Ramirez who helped the Bobcats surge ahead on a 12-2 run. The Bobcats held the Keelhaulers to just one field goal over the final five minutes on their way to taking a 23-point lead, 57-34. Ramirez scored seven of the Bobcats 12 points in the 12-2 run.
Back-to-back buckets from Lukito and Elise LeBeau opened the fourth quarter. UC Merced was still locked in defensively, limiting Cal Maritime to just one field goal for the first eight minutes of the final frame while building a lead that reached a game-high 31 points, 67-36. Both teams hit a few shots over the final two minutes resulting in the 71-43 final.
UC Merced finished the night shooting 39% from the field, 33% from downtown, and 66% from the charity stripe.
The Bobcats 28-point margin of victory is the biggest over Cal Maritime since December 28, 2022.
UC Merced has won 19 straight games over Cal Maritime.
Up next, the Bobcats host Simpson University for Senior Day on Saturday, February 15. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
