SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team fell 53-40 to Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday night inside Coussoulis Arena.
Nicole Lukito led the Bobcats (7-17, 4-13) efforts with 21 rebounds and ten points for her second consecutive double-double and her league-leading 12th of the year. Her 21 rebounds tied her season-high and she is the only player in the CCAA this year with 20+ rebounds in two different games. Lukito, who was 100% (6-6) at the foul line, also had two steals and a block.
Lukito passed Christina Castro for second in program history with 254 career free throws made and moved ahead of Courtney Danna for ninth in program history with 63 career starts.
Elise LeBeau was the Bobcats top scorer and tied her career-high with 12 points on 90% (9-10) shooting from the foul line. She added three rebounds and a steal.
Paloma Ramirez finished with eight points, three rebounds, and two steals. She passed Damilola Sule for seventh in program history with 467 career rebounds.
Mariah Flores had six points and four rebounds.
Kylie Salzler grabbed a career-high four rebounds, while Michailla Springs collected two steals in her collegiate debut.
The Bobcats offense could never get going but stayed in the game with stout defense and the ability to get to the foul line, hitting 21 free throws. The Bobcats 21 made free throws marked their second most made foul shots in a conference road game in the last three years.
UC Merced didn't make a field goal in the first quarter. Instead, the Bobcats hit 11-of-12 free throws to remain within two possessions and trail by just five points at the end of the opening period, 16-11. LeBeau knocked down five of the foul shots.
Ramirez made the Bobcats first field goal at the 5:44 mark of the second quarter and her bucket tied the game 16-16. LeBeau buried a three-pointer a minute later to give the Bobcats their first lead of the game, 19-16, capping an 8-0 run. Defensively, UC Merced held the Coyotes without a field goal for the first eight minutes of the quarter. UC Merced led 22-18 with 90 seconds left in the first half but went into intermission tied 22-22.
Ramirez and Flores each opened the third quarter with a three-pointer to give the Bobcats a 28-24 advantage. The Bobcats lead was 32-29 at the five-minute mark, however went cold again and allowed a 10-0 Coyotes run to end the frame. CSUSB would lead 39-32 going into the fourth quarters.
CSUSB extended its run to 12-0 with the first points of the fourth quarter and used an extended 21-2 run overall to win the game, leading 50-34 with two minutes left at the peak of the surge. The Coyotes run stretched 13 minutes across the third and fourth quarter. The Coyotes biggest lead of the night was 17 points, 53-36, on their way to victory.
Despite the loss, the Bobcats held CSUSB to just 28% shooting and forced 18 turnovers. The Coyotes field goal percentage was the lowest of any Bobcat opponent this year.
UC Merced was without leading scorer Sarina Nagra.
Up next, UC Merced will play at No. 9 Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday, February 13. Tipoff from Kellogg Arena is scheduled for 1:00pm in Pomona, Calif.
