Mesa, Ariz. – The California Pacific Conference men's basketball championship got a thrilling start, as the #4 Bobcats of the University of California Merced edged the #5 Keelhaulers of California State Maritime 42-40.
The two saw each other in the first round of the 2021-22 conference tournament, with the Keelhaulers scraping by with a 79-72 win. This year proved to be a different story, as the Bobcats kept their season alive on Saturday afternoon.
DeDrick Martin of the Bobcats got the lid off the basket on a lay-up after both teams opened up the matinee matchup scoreless through the first three minutes of play. Back and forth action marked the bulk of the first half, until a scoring drought for the Keelhaulers lasting over six minutes showed the first signs of sinking for Cal Maritime.
Offensively, the Keelhaulers continued to falter, going nearly 10 minutes without a bucket from the field, and finishing the first half shooting just 18.5%. The Bobcats went on a torrid 21-5 run to end the first half, and entered the locker room at half with a 25-13 lead. Kingsley Obiorah led the Bobcats with eight points and six rebounds while playing all 20 minutes in the first half.
"Holding them to just 28% from three-point line, 25% from the field in the first half, I thought our guys did an outstanding job defensively," said Bobcats head coach Kevin Pham of the defensive effort in the first half.
It was a similarly slow offensive start to the second half, as the two teams tussled for their berth in the semifinals. The Keelhaulers took advantage of a handful of Bobcat turnovers and snuck their way back into the game, cutting the Bobcat lead to five with just over 10 minutes to go.
The wheels then began to fall off for the Bobcats, as they turned the ball over six times in a six minute stretch, giving the Keelhaulers a key opportunity to get back into the game. And get back in the game they did; Braxton Adderly of CSU-Maritime connected for his first two threes of the game, a key factor in snatching back the lead for the first time since early in the first half.
The teams traded points back and forth, bringing the game to a 40-40 tie with just 20 seconds left on the clock. Obiorah made a clutch layup within the final three seconds to give the Bobcats a two-point lead. The Keelhaulers had one last chance with the ball, but turned it over on the inbound and watched the final buzzer go on their season.
The Bobcats overcame three-point demons in the victory, shooting 1-12 from deep, with their only three coming with just 1:30 left in the game. Obiorah led the way with 14 points and 11 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes. Chris Bramah showed out as well with 11 points and nine rebounds.
"I think it's outstanding, the fact that we shot 1-12 from the three-point line and still win the game," said coach Pham, "Our leading scorer [Mason Westlake] only had two points tonight; I don't think that's gonna happen again, and the fact that we were able to fight through adversity and get a win, I think that's outstanding."
The Bobcats will matchup against #1 seed Antelope Valley in the first semi final on Monday evening, with tip-off set for 6:00 PM AST.
