SEASIDE, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's basketball team fell 89-83 in overtime to Cal State Monterey Bay on Thursday night.
UC Merced (6-11, 4-9) led 74-68 with 19 seconds remaining before Cal State Monterey Bay used some magic to force overtime, as the Otters Jaden Tengan banked in a contested fadeaway three-pointer with 3.4 seconds left and then after a Bobcats turnover, Tengan beat the buzzer with another triple to tie the game and force overtime. Tengan finished with 33 points.
Sterling McClanahan led UC Merced with a career-high 30 points and eight rebounds. His 30-point game was UC Merced's first of the season and the first since Cameron Brown's 30-point effort on January 25, 2025. McClanahan shot 55% (10-18) from the floor, 50% (4-8) from downtown, and 85% (6-7) from the free throw line. He also had a steal. McClanahan played 36 minutes off the bench. He had 18 points in the second half alone.
Elijah Charles finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. It was his seventh double-double of the season and ninth in his career, passing Aaron Laflin and Derek E'denchukwu for sole possession of fifth in program history with nine career double-doubles.
Jaden Hubbard added ten points, two assists, and a steal.
Pawllos Habtom and Myles Haynes matched each other with eight points and five rebounds apiece. Habtom also tied his season-high with three steals.
Cyprus Graham contributed seven points and five rebounds. Jon Taylor had a career-high five assists.
The Bobcats were forced to play catchup early as Cal State Monterey Bay opened the game on a 17-4 run over the first six minutes. UC Merced cut the deficit to two possessions a couple times with the play of Charles, but the deficit was double digits at 23-13 with ten minutes left in the first half.
UC Merced used a 13-4 burst to pull within a point, 27-26, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from McClanahan. However, the Otters responded with eight unanswered points to keep the Bobcats from grabbing any lead in the first half. The Bobcats deficit was 35-28 with five minutes left in the half and it was 41-36 at intermission.
Charles and Habtom led an 8-2 UC Merced run to start the second half, giving the Bobcats their first lead of the game at 44-43 just four minutes into the frame. Six lead changes followed in the next six minutes, capped by a Graham second-chance basket for the sixth lead change that put the Bobcats up 56-55 midway through the half.
After a 58-58 tie, McClanahan scored the next five points of the game for UC Merced's first two-possession lead of the night. The Bobcats lead was 65-60 inside of five minutes and reached six points, 68-62, with four minutes left after a McClanahan three-point play.
UC Merced led 70-66 with a minute left and 72-66 with 19 seconds left before Tengan's three-point heroics, hitting two triples in a five-second span to force overtime.
Cal State Monterey Bay controlled the overtime period, scoring the first five points and never giving up the lead. The Bobcats worked at the deficit, cutting it down to 81-80 on a McClanahan basket with 90 seconds to go, but couldn't pull even or take the lead. The Otters scored the next five points to go up 86-80 with 20 seconds left. McClanahan hit another three-pointer to keep the Bobcats alive, but the Otters finished the game with three free throws and two defensive stops.
UC Merced's overtime game was its first since November 23, 2024.
Despite the loss, the Bobcats 83 points marked their highest scoring output in a road game this season.
UC Merced held a +11 on the glass and grabbed 48 rebounds, its best rebounding effort in a road game since January 27, 2023.
The Bobcats also held a higher field goal percentage (.472/.451) and free throw percentage (.615/.600) than the Otters, but lost the turnover battle 17-11.
Up next, UC Merced will play at Cal State San Marcos on Saturday, January 31. Tipoff from The Sports Center in San Marcos, Calif., is scheduled for 3:00pm.
