Vallejo, Calif. - The women's basketball bid to bring home their first Cal Pac Championship fell short in a 53-43 loss to the University of California – Merced. Both teams had already made history by advancing to the championship game, but the Bobcats used a timely 12-3 run over the final five minutes to take the victory.

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It was a defensive battle from the get-go. Niether team led by more than three points over the first twelve minutes of the game, until a Shelby Howard 3-point shot pushed the lead to 14-10, in favor of the Bobcats. The game remained tight, as the halftime buzzer sounded, with a score of 24-22, with Merced holding the slight advantage.

The second half was similar to the first half with the two teams exchanging the lead, as the score remained tight. But despite holding the Bobcats without a field goal for the final 4:11 of the game, the Golden Eagles were unable to capitalize. Merced converted 6-of-8 free throws to close the game out and claim their first Cal Pac Championship in the school's history.

It was the second game in a row, for the Golden Eagles, where neither team was awarded a free throw in the first half of play. Both teams had trouble scoring against each other's defense, with the Golden Eagles shooting only 27% compared the Bobcats who shot slightly better at 31%.

The Golden Eagles out-rebounded the Bobcats 42-37, led by Faith Fantroy's game-high 15 rebounds to go along with nine points and four assists.

Kristen Brummett led the Golden Eagles with 12 points, on 5-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. Melanie Henderson added 10 points and six rebounds, while Tina Fantroy contributed six rebounds, five points, four assists, and three steals.

The women's basketball team concludes their season with a record of 10-17 overall (6-6 in Cal Pac play).