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Lukito scored ten points, grabbed 23 rebounds, and added a career-high ten assists for the program's first triple-double since Deja Jackson's on January 6, 2018. Also of note, it's the first triple-double by any Cal Pac player since La Sierra's Luiza Rodriguez on November 3, 2019.
With her sixth career 20+ rebounding performance, she passed Mia Belvin for
fourth in program history with 540 career rebounds. Lukito also had a career-high four steals and blocked two shots in the big win.Leilani Blecha scored a career-high 24 points with a career-high eight three-pointers, including hitting six triples without a miss to start the game. Her eight total three-pointers are the most by any Bobcat since Christina Castro on January 24, 2015. Only Shelby Howard has made more triples in a game. Aside from her lights out shooting, Blecha added a career-high six rebounds and a career-high tying four steals. She finished shooting 61% (8-13) from downtown overall.
Mariah Flores turned in one of the best ever performances by a Bobcat freshman as she contributed career-high's of 23 points, six rebounds, and six assists. She shot 83% (10-12) overall and didn't miss from beyond the arc, hitting three triples.
Five Bobcats reached double digit scoring with Sarina Nagra adding 17 points and Megan Williams tying her UC Merced career-high with 14 points. Williams finished shooting 77% (7-9) from the floor in her first start of the season. She also had two steals.
Other notables include a career-high eight rebounds from Quinn Godfrey, six rebounds and four assists from Paloma Ramirez, and three assists and two steals from Elise LeBeau.
The Bobcats dominated their opponent tying the Kellie Bernard era record with 99 points and tied the program-record with 32 assists. The Bobcats connected on 15 three-pointers overall shooting 51% from downtown, while maintaining a 50% field goal clip. The Bobcats outrebounded Stanton 56-24, came away with 13 steals, and forced 19 turnovers. UC Merced limited Stanton to just a .286 field goal percentage.
The 51-point win was the biggest margin of victory under Bernard highlighted by a 55-15 scoring differential in the second half.
Up 10-4 early on, the Bobcats created separation with a 13-0 run over the next five minutes. Blecha hit a trio of three-pointers in the opening run that resulted in a 23-4 lead. UC Merced led 27-15 at the end of the first quarter.
The Bobcats struggled with turnovers in the second quarter, committing six, and were outscored 18-17 in the frame. Despite that, UC Merced still extended the lead to a first-half high 22 points at the five minute mark, 43-21. However, the Elks closed the first half on an 11-1 run to stay within striking distance as the Bobcats lead was cut down to 44-33 at intermission.
The Bobcats got back to business in the third quarter with a 19-0 run over the final seven and a half minutes to help put the game away. Lukito and Nagra combined for the Bobcats first 14 points in the run before Williams and Blecha capped the quarter to put their team up 69-40 at the end of three.
UC Merced continued to find success in the fourth quarter. After back and forth action for the first five minutes, the Bobcats closed out the game with a 17-0 run that saw Lukito officially secure her triple-double with an assist on a Flores three-pointer with 2:44 remaining. Flores' triple put the Bobcats up 92-48. She followed with seven more points of her own to put the finishing touches on the 99-48 win.
The Bobcats are the first Cal Pac women's basketball team to win a game by 50+ points since February 24, 2024.
Friday night's meeting was the first ever between UC Merced and Stanton. The two teams are scheduled to meet again on January 20 at Stanton.
Looking ahead, UC Merced begins California Pacific Conference play at Cal Maritime on Thursday, January 16. Tipoff from the PEAC Main Gym in Vallejo, Calif., is scheduled for 5:30pm.
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