MERCED, Calif. — The University of California, Merced women's basketball team forced a season-high 22 turnovers but fell 77-66 to Cal Poly Humboldt on Thursday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
The Bobcats (7-15, 4-11) remained competitive throughout the game, but were outscored 22-13 in the third quarter and were unable to overcome the deficit. The Bobcats got as close as seven points in the final frame.
Sarina Nagra led all scorers with 24 points, shooting 72% (8-11) from the floor and 50% (1-2) from three-point range. She also contributed three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Her 24-point night marked her 50th career double-figure scoring performance, tying Christina Castro for the fourth most in program history.
Paloma Ramirez scored eight points while adding four rebounds and three steals. Ramirez extended her steal streak to three straight games and tied a season high with four made free throws, going a perfect 4-of-4 at the line.
Sydney Corder Boyd recorded a career-high eight points, shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and adding two more points at the free-throw line. Her three made field goals tied a career high, and she grabbed a season-high five rebounds.
Elise LeBeau finished with six points and dished out a season-high tying five assists. She also added four rebounds and two steals, extending her steal streak to nine straight games.
Other notables include Nicole Lukito, who contributed five points, nine rebounds, two steals and one assist. Her assist moved her ahead of Alexis Wu for sixth all-time with 163 career assists. Mariah Flores added nine points along with two rebounds and one assist. Quinn Godfrey scored six points and grabbed three rebounds while also adding an assist and a block.
The Bobcats struck first on their opening possession as Lukito scored down low off a pick-and-roll. Cal Poly Humboldt evened the score about a minute later, but UC Merced answered immediately with a sweet three-pointer from LeBeau, assisted by Nagra, to take a 5-2 lead. The Lumberjacks responded with a 9-0 run, fueled by three consecutive three-pointers to flip the score to 11-5. LeBeau halted the run and hit again from deep at the 6:07 mark, pulling UC Merced back within one possession. After a scoreless stretch of nearly two minutes, LeBeau corralled an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Nagra, who knocked down her only three-pointer of the night to tie the game at 11. Humboldt briefly regained the lead, but Ramirez answered at the free-throw line, sinking both attempts to make it 13-13. Humboldt would answer that score, until later Godfrey found Corder Boyd cutting to the basket to tie the game at 15 with 41 seconds remaining. Godfrey then scored with 17 seconds left to put the Bobcats back in front, 17-15. Humboldt responded with a three-pointer to regain the advantage, but Corder Boyd quickly answered with a pull-up jumper to give UC Merced a 19-18 lead. It would be the Bobcats' final advantage of the night. The Lumberjacks closed the quarter with a three-pointer in the final seconds to take a 21-19 lead into the second. The opening period was tightly contested, featuring four ties and five lead changes after the teams' opening baskets.
Godfrey opened the second quarter with an offensive rebound putback to tie the game at 21 in the opening seconds. Cal Poly Humboldt responded with a three-pointer to regain the lead, 24-21, but Ramirez answered with a pull-up jumper to bring UC Merced within one. The Lumberjacks scored the next two baskets to stretch the lead to 28-23 before Nagra knocked down a jumper at the 7:30 mark to cut into the deficit. Humboldt answered with a three-pointer and followed with another layup a minute later to make it 33-25. Flores converted two free throws at 5:38, but the Lumberjacks connected from deep again to extend the lead to its largest margin of the half, 36-27. Moments later, LeBeau found Nagra for a layup with a chance at a three-point play but the free throw would not fall. Corder Boyd split a pair of free-throws over the next several possessions as both teams traded empty trips. Humboldt added two more at the line before UC Merced went on a 7-0 run over the next minute to pull within one. Flores added a three ball at 2:34, Godfrey scored on a pick-and-roll facilitated by Flores and LeBeau found Nagra cutting to the basket for an easy inside layup to pull within one, 38-37, with 1:30 remaining. The Lumberjacks would score in the closing seconds to take a 40-37 lead into halftime.
Cal Poly Humboldt opened the second half with consecutive baskets to extend the lead to 44-37 in the opening minute. Nagra scored UC Merced's first points of the half at the 7:23 mark, converting off an assist from Lukito. The Lumberjacks responded with three straight baskets to push the margin to double digits, 50-39, four minutes into the quarter. Nagra was fouled behind the three-point line at 5:02 and sank all three free throws to pull the Bobcats within eight. Humboldt responded with a three-pointer and followed with another basket on their ensuing possession to stretch the lead back up to 55-42. Ramirez went to the line and knocked down both at the 3:30 mark, but Humboldt connected from deep again a minute later to take its largest lead of the night, 58-44. UC Merced closed the quarter as Nagra converted two free throws in the bonus, and Corder Boyd added a nice layup after a Lumberjack turnover. Flores scored a jumper with a minute remaining, but Humboldt would close out the quarter with a layup to lead 62-50 heading into the final period. UC Merced shot just 18% (3-16) in the third.
The Bobcats opened the fourth quarter with five straight points as Corder Boyd split a pair at the line, Ramirez knocked down a jumper off a feed from LeBeau, and Nagra scored at the 8:51 mark to cut the deficit to 62-55. Cal Poly Humboldt scored at the eight-minute mark, and the teams traded baskets over the next several possessions. A Lukito steal led to a fastbreak layup by Nagra, and Flores followed with a jumper in the paint to make it 68-59. The Lumberjacks responded with a layup and a three-pointer to push the lead to 14 with under five minutes to play. UC Merced answered immediately as LeBeau found Nagra inside for a layup, trimming it to 73-61. Humboldt scored on their next possession, but Nagra would answer by sinking free-throws. Lukito scored the final three points for the Bobcats with a basket at the 2:42 mark and a free throw under two minutes. The Lumberjacks sealed the game at the line in the closing seconds, securing the 77-66 victory. UC Merced outscored Cal Poly Humboldt in the fourth quarter but was unable to complete a comeback win at home.
Up next, the Bobcats will host Chico State on Saturday, February 7 inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Merced. Calif.
