March 6, 2015
The dream became reality Tuesday night, when the UC Merced women's basketball team knocked off La Sierra University 53-43 to capture the first team championship in school history.The Bobcats' stifling defense was again the catalyst in the victory, as they held La Sierra to just 27 percent shooting. They also held the Cal Pac Conference's leading scorer to just five points on 2-for-15 shooting.
UC Merced was powered by Freshman of the Year Christina Castro, with 20 points, but got one of their best all-around team performances of the year. Brittany Martinez recorded 11 points, Shelby Howard knocked down two 3-pointers on her way to 10 points and four steals, and Courtney Danna led the team in both rebounds (seven) and assists (three).
