Atherton, CA- Menlo Men's Basketball tipped off against the UC Merced Bobcats for the final game of 2023 inside of Haynes-Prim Pavilion. It was a physical, low scoring affair that saw the Oaks get up big in the early and hold off a big second half rally from Merced to secure their ninth win in a row and move to an impressive 12-1 in non-conference play.

Full Team Effort From the Jump

For the year the Oaks have put forth a balanced offensive effort with five players all averaging double figures in scoring. Once again this egalitarian style of scoring the ball was on full display with four players crossing the double digit threshold and six players scoring at least six points.

Patrick Ryan led the way for the Oaks with a team high 15 points while slashing a strong 50% from both the field and three point line. Ryan has started to find his form on offense after having missed some time with nagging injuries throughout the year. In his last outing he scored 16 points and today he was back to his efficient self. Thanks to his patented physical play he muscled his way to the rim for a variety of finishes through contact. Most importantly, he sealed the Oaks win as Merced had cut the Oaks 20 point lead to five with three minutes of play. Ryan hit back to back threes to push the lead up to nine and silence the Bobcats fans inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion for good.

Quietly, lone senior Katio Williams put together a great outing from the floor. His 12 points came on 57% shooting from the floor and more importantly 67% from three. He also added three rebounds helping the Oaks win the rebounding battle 32-26. Lastly, the duo of Braydon Iuli and Landon Seaman, Menlo's two leading scorers, did not have their usual offensive groove, combining for just 23 points. But the pair made sure to impact the game in a variety of other ways. Iuli was impactful all across the statsheet particularly on defense as he produced two monster blocks while also swiping four steals. Seaman grabbed a game high eight rebounds to help ensure the Bobcats were held to single possessions. Both players also handed out four assists with Seaman tying his season high.

Up Next…

Menlo now finishes their non-conference schedule with a stellar 12-1 record including a nine game win streak and a perfect 6-0 record at home. From here on out the Oaks will be in GSAC play with the highly ranked Arizona Christian Firestorm heading up to Atherton for the teams conference opener. Menlo is riding a strong wave of momentum and is led by players producing at an all-conference level. Coach Rooney's squad is ready to make some noise for one last run at a GSAC title before the program heads to the ranks of NCAA Division II.