MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team knocked off Cal State Dominguez Hills for the second time this season, beating the Toros 81-72 on Senior Day on Saturday inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
The Bobcats (8-19, 5-15) are currently one of just two teams to beat the defending CCAA champ and NCAA Division II runner-up Toros twice this year.
Nicole Lukito grabbed her 1000th career rebound and led the Bobcats with 21 points and 15 rebounds in the game. Lukito, who set the program's all-time rebounding record last year, is now over 1000 points and 1000 rebounds in her career. Her double-double on Saturday marked her 13th of the season. She also blocked her 100th career shot. The junior shot 77% (7-9) from the floor and 100% (6-6) from the charity stripe. She cashed in her only three-point attempt.
Senior Paloma Ramirez delivered her third 20-point game of the season to go along with eight rebounds and four steals. Her steals output marked her second highest total of the season. With her efforts, she passed Deja Jackson for tenth in program history with 96 career steals. She also tied Christina Castro for second in program history with 102 career games played.
Sarina Nagra returned from injury to score 15 points and collect two steals. Noteworthy, she passed Courtney Danna for fifth in program history with 945 career points. She also passed Deyliana Lewis for seventh in program history with 167 made free throws.
Mariah Flores registered her first career double-double with 12 points and eleven rebounds. She shot 50% (4-8) from the floor and made both her three-point attempts and free throws. Flores also blocked a shot.
Other notables include five points and three assists from Jazzy Beltran, five points from Sydney Corder Boyd, and three assists from Elise LeBeau.
UC Merced finished the game with 30 free throws, the Bobcats most since February 14, 2019. The mark is also tied for the most in the CCAA this year. UC Merced shot 77% (30-39) from the line.
The Bobcats took their first lead of the game at 5-3 a few minutes into the game on a Nagra triple as she played in her first game since February 7. Head coach Kellie Bernard's squad led 13-7 at the four-minute mark with Boyd sinking foul shots. UC Merced would lead 16-14 at the end of the first quarter.
There were four lead changes and three ties in the first four minutes of the second quarter. The Bobcats trailed 24-20 before using an 11-0 run to take the biggest lead of the first half, 31-24 at the 2:30 mark. Nine of the Bobcats eleven points in the surge came at the charity stripe, including four free throws from Lukito. Nagra started the run with a jumper before nine straight foul shots. Though, the Bobcats lead was cut to two points, 33-31, at intermission.
UC Merced caught fire from the field and didn't need to go to the stripe in the third quarter, shooting 60% (12-20) from the field and outscoring CSUDH 28-13 in the frame. After some back and forth that included two ties, LeBeau sparked a 21-2 run that put the Bobcats up by as many as 20 points at 61-41. The run stretched six minutes, from the 7:21 mark to the 1:30 mark. Lukito hit the shot that put the Bobcats up 20 with a three-pointer, highlighting her ten-point showing in the game-changing run.
CSUDH started the fourth quarter strong and pulled within two possessions, 64-58, with a 17-3 run that lasted a little over four minutes. UC Merced led 65-58 inside of five minutes and led by at least seven the remainder of the game.
The Bobcats got their lead back to double digits in the final three minutes with a Ramirez three-point play. Flores hit a three-pointer shortly after and then the Bobcats did the rest of their work at the free throw line to seal the win, 81-72.
UC Merced won the rebounding battle 40-38 and forced 14 turnovers in the victory.
CSUDH is the Bobcats first ever CCAA home-and-home sweep.
Up next, UC Merced will play at San Francisco State on Thursday, February 26. Tipoff from SFSU Gymnasium is scheduled for 5:30pm in San Francisco.
