MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team fell 61-48 to Cal State Monterey Bay on Sunday afternoon inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.

The Bobcats (3-10, 0-6) were led by Nicole Lukito's game-high 17 points.

Lukito's 17 points marked her highest scoring output in the first six CCAA games. Lukito, who reached 900 career points, also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots.

Paloma Ramirez finished with ten points, eight rebounds, and a steal. The senior now has a steal in seven straight outings.

Mariah Flores added eight points, six rebounds, and a steal.

Sarina Nagra scored six points and passed Aubrey Hayes for ninth all-time in program history with 757 career points. Nagra was also good for three rebounds, two steals, and a block on Sunday.

Other notables include four points from Quinn Godfrey, three assists from Elise LeBeau, and two steals from Jazzy Beltran. Amanda Torrez made her UC Merced debut.

There were three early lead changes in the first quarter and the game was tied 11-11 before Cal State Monterey Bay embarked on its best stretch of the game. The Otters closed out the quarter on a 10-3 run, giving them a 21-14 advantage at the end of the frame, and then extended their burst into the second period.

CSUMB outscored the Bobcats 8-2 in the first five minutes of the second quarter to push the lead up to 13 points. Godfrey and Ramirez scored back-to-back buckets to get the deficit back under ten points, but it didn't garner enough momentum and UC Merced found themselves trailing 36-20 at intermission.

The Bobcats weren't able to make up much ground in the third quarter, falling behind by as many as 20 points before cutting the deficit to 15 by the end of the frame. Flores and Lukito led the Bobcats 5-0 push to make it the 15-point game, 52-37 going into the final ten minutes.

A Lukito triple pulled the Bobcats within 12 points 90 seconds into the fourth. However, the Bobcats couldn't get any closer than that the rest of the day. CSUMB extended its lead back up to 17 points shortly after on their way to a 3-3 start in the CCAA.

Despite the loss, UC Merced won the turnover battle by forcing 17 and committing 13. The Bobcats 13 turnovers marked their second fewest of the season.

UC Merced was held to just 33.9% shooting overall and 13% from downtown. CSUMB shot 38% overall, including the same mark from beyond the arc.

Looking ahead, UC Merced will play at 2025 NCAA Runner-Up Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday, January 8. Tipoff from the Toro Dome in Carson, Calif., is scheduled for 5:30pm.