UC Merced upset bid falls short in women’s basketball

UC Merced’s game plan was to attack the basket every chance it got.

Bobcats women’s basketball coach Kevin Pham had no intention of allowing NAIA Division II No. 12 Menlo College to feel comfortable on his home court, applying constant pressure on both ends.

Pham’s squad executed half the plan, getting to the basket at will Saturday evening. Finishing once they got there was another matter. UC Merced shot just 38 percent, and the veteran Oaks made shots in the clutch to escape Hostetler Court with a 61-55 victory.

“Menlo is an experienced team. They know who to go to when they need a basket at the end of the game,” Pham said. “We just couldn’t seem to knock down the big shot when we had the chance to take the lead or build a lead.

“We executed our plan well, but maybe a little too well. We’re a team that averages 17 three-pointers a game, and we only took six tonight. We were so focused on getting to the basket, we missed out on a number of opportunities to kick out when it wasn’t an easy layup.”

Despite Menlo (14-4, 2-0 California Pacific Conference) entering the contest with its highest ranking in school history, the Bobcats (8-7, 1-1) showed no intimidation in search of the program’s first victory over the Oaks.

UC Merced trailed throughout but never by more than seven. The Bobcats twice took a one-point lead, but Menlo always had an answer.

“We were pumped for this one; it meant a lot to us,” sophomore guard Courtney Danna said. “Menlo is definitely the team to beat in the Cal Pac, and we wanted to show we could play with them. We did it. We were right there with them all game, but we didn’t execute when we had the opportunity to take control of the game.”

Danna (team-high 15 points and six assists), Alexis Wu (10 points, six rebounds, three assists) and Jecenia Trinidad (eight points) were outstanding for UC Merced.

Menlo countered with big nights from Aaliyah Sowards (16 points, six assists, four steals) and Laurel Donnenwirth (15 points, 12 rebounds). Still, the Bobcats made life difficult for the Oaks’ top scorer in the middle. Donnenwirth, a 5-foot-10 forward, was just 5 of 18 from the field with every shot from the block contested.

As good as the Bobcats’ defense was for 38 minutes, Menlo’s last three baskets were far too easy. Sowards’ three-pointer with 17 seconds left put the game out of reach.

“They’re the No. 12 team in the country for a reason,” Pham said. “They’ve been in these big games before and know how to finish them off. We’re still a young team. We’ve got a bunch of underclassmen seeing 20-plus minutes a night. This is uncharted territory for us, but the good news is we get another crack at them in a couple weeks.”

Sequoias 65, Merced College 31 in Visalia – Janae Jackson scored a team-high 10 points, but the Lady Devils (3-13, 1-2 Central Valley Conference) couldn’t overcome 11-of-38 shooting and 31 turnovers on the road against the Giants (19-3, 4-0), the top-ranked team in the North Region.

Men’s basketball

Menlo 74, UC Merced 66 – George Olumba’s double double (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Kevin Ellsworth’s 11 points weren’t enough to get the Bobcats (1-18, 0-2 Cal Pac) their first league victory in a loss to the Oaks (2-15, 1-1).

Men’s volleyball

UC Merced 3, Bluefield College 0 in Lake Wales, Fla. – Cole Smith had a team-high eight kills and Matt Pelfini had 32 assists as the Bobcats (1-4) picked up their first win 25-20, 25-12, 25-17.

High School Wrestling

Joseph A. Gregory Memorial Tournament in Modesto – Criselio Rivera (108), Tanned Browning (115), Brady Mello (128), Jacob Perry (134) and Joey Terry (147) all won individual titles as Golden Valley captured the tournament title for the third straight year.

Westside Invitational in Firebaugh – Merced's Kenneth Hammel and Romeo Medina each won titles and Gabe Gonzalez took second at the Westside Invitational.

This story was originally published January 19, 2015 at 4:27 PM with the headline "UC Merced upset bid falls short in women’s basketball."