Intercollegiate basketball soared to new heights at UC Merced this season.
For the first time, the women’s and men’s teams both advanced to their respective National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship tournaments after stellar regular seasons.
The programs’ successes will follow the Bobcats into a major transition. Starting with the 2025-26 athletics season, UC Merced will switch membership from the NAIA’s California Pacific Conference to the California Collegiate Athletic Association of NCAA Division II.
The transition promises more visibility and opportunity for Bobcat sports programs and athletes. UC Merced also will have the distinction of being the highest-ranked institution academically in NCAA Division II, according to U.S. News and World Report.
The UC Merced women’s basketball team are 17-8 and the Cal Pac Conference tournament champions, a title that locked up a spot in the NAIA championship tournament. The team is riding a 14-game victory streak. During the run the Bobcats have won by an average of 23 points.
(WATCH PARTY: Gather at UC Merced on Main, 1635 M St., on Friday to watch both NAIA tournament games and snack on food provided by UC Merced Athletics. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Send an RSVP.)
The Bobcat men earned an at-large position in the men’s bracket with a 20-6 record that included a 10-0 record against Cal Pac opponents and a late-season winning streak of 14 games.
Both teams are scheduled to play NAIA tournament opening round games on the road Friday. The women face Southern Oregon University, the nation’s second-ranked team, in Ashland, Ore. The men square off against No. 1 College of Idaho on the Yotes’ home court.
The Bobcat women are in the national tournament for the fifth time. This season’s winning streak is the longest in program history.
UC Merced’s women are led by Cal Pac Player of the Year Nicole Lukito. Third-year head coach Kellie Bernard was named the Cal Pac Coach of the Year and Paloma Ramirez, a 5-8 junior guard, was named the Cal Pac Sixth Player of the Year.
Lukito, a 6-foot sophomore forward, is averaging more than 14 rebounds a game, good for No. 2 in the NAIA, and 16.5 points.
For the UC Merced men, Friday’s game marks the program’s first NAIA tournament appearance. The Bobcats’ team defense is third-best in the nation, limiting opponents to 61.3 points per game.
Earlier in the season, UC Merced earned a signature victory with a 76-60 win over then-No. 7 The Master’s University – the highest-ranked opponent to fall to the Bobcats in program history.
UC Merced is led by Cal Pac Player of the Year Cameron Brown, a 6-3 junior guard who is averaging 15 points a game. Tenth-year head coach Kevin Pham was named the Cal Pac Coach of the Year and Aidan Sevilla, a 6-foot senior guard, was named the Cal Pac Defender of the Year.
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