UC Merced, CA (March 5, 2026) — Several members of the University of California, Merced men’s and women’s basketball teams earned California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) honors following the Bobcats’ first season competing in the conference and at the NCAA Division II level, according to announcements made by the conference office Tuesday.
On the women’s side, junior forward Nicole Lukito was named All-CCAA First Team, while junior guard Sarina Nagra received All-CCAA Honorable Mention recognition.
Lukito became just the third player in program history to earn three consecutive First Team honors, joining Shelby Howard and Mia Belvin. She earned All-California Pacific Conference First Team honors in each of the past two seasons before continuing her performance during UC Merced’s first year competing in the CCAA. Since the women’s program began in the 2012–13 season, UC Merced has had at least one First Team selection every year.
During the 2025-26 season, Lukito led the CCAA with 15 double-doubles while averaging 13.7 points per game and a conference-leading 11.0 rebounds per game. She also finished first in the conference with an .842 free-throw percentage, third with a .495 field-goal percentage, and fifth with 27 blocks.
According to UC Merced Athletics, Lukito is the first CCAA player in a decade to average at least 13.5 points per game and 11 rebounds per game while recording at least 27 blocks. The Fremont native recorded double-doubles in five consecutive conference games from January 10 through January 24 and ended the season with three straight double-doubles.
Lukito scored in double figures 20 times and surpassed 20 points in six games, including a career-high 33 points against Cal State East Bay. She also recorded a season-high 21 rebounds twice during the year. Lukito earned CCAA Player of the Week honors on November 25 after helping lead the Bobcats to two wins in Hawai‘i.
She also became the first player in program history to reach 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, while starting all 29 games during the season. Lukito additionally shot a program-record 50 percent from three-point range, making 22 of 44 attempts.
Nagra ranked fourth in the CCAA with 15.1 points per game, the highest scoring average by a Bobcats guard since the 2019-20 season. The Danville native recorded eight games with 20 or more points and scored in double figures 20 times.
She finished second in the CCAA with 62 three-pointers and ranked fourth with a .369 three-point percentage. Her 62 three-pointers represent the second-highest total in program history. Nagra also averaged a team-high 33.6 minutes per game and recorded 31 steals, ranking fourth on the team. She started 24 of the 26 games she played.
Lukito and Nagra became the first Bobcats duo to combine for more than 28 points per game in back-to-back seasons, according to UC Merced Athletics.
The UC Merced women’s team finished the season with an 8-21 overall record and a 5-17 mark in CCAA play. The Bobcats swept the season series against Cal State Dominguez Hills and earned additional wins against three other conference opponents, including Stanislaus State.
On the men’s side, senior forward Elijah Charles was named All-CCAA First Team, while junior guard Sterling McClanahan earned All-CCAA Second Team honors.
Charles’ selection extends UC Merced men’s basketball’s streak to 11 consecutive years with an All-Conference First Team selection, dating back to the program’s time competing in the California Pacific Conference. It also marks the fourth straight season that the Bobcats have had multiple all-conference honorees.
Charles led the CCAA with 13 double-doubles, averaging 15.9 points per game and a conference-leading 9.9 rebounds per game. According to UC Merced Athletics, he is the first CCAA player in a decade to average more than 15 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game.
The Los Angeles native also led the conference with a .627 field-goal percentage and finished third with 31 blocks. Charles recorded double-doubles in five consecutive conference games from January 29 through February 12, helping lead the Bobcats to their second three-game winning streak of the season.
He scored in double figures 22 times and recorded six games with 20 or more points. Charles posted career highs of 36 points and 16 rebounds in a win over Cal State LA, which earned him CCAA Player of the Week honors. His 9.9 rebounds per game set a program record.
Charles started 25 games during the season and also recorded 25 steals.
McClanahan finished third in the CCAA with 16.9 points per game in his first season with UC Merced. The Fairfield native recorded seven games with 20 or more points, including back-to-back 30-point performances in road games, which earned him CCAA Player of the Week honors on February 3.
He was the only player in the conference to record two 30-point games during the season. McClanahan also had a stretch of nine consecutive games scoring in double figures from January 10 through February 14.
He ranked fourth in the CCAA with 2.1 three-pointers per game and finished fourth with an .836 free-throw percentage. His 16.9 points per game represent the Bobcats’ highest scoring average since Aki Chambers during the 2012-13 season.
McClanahan averaged a team-high 29.9 minutes per game, led the team with a .339 three-point percentage, and ranked among the team’s top five with 3.6 rebounds per game. The Las Positas College transfer appeared in 20 games, starting six.
Charles and McClanahan became the first Bobcats duo to combine for more than 32 points per game, according to UC Merced Athletics.
The UC Merced men’s team finished its inaugural CCAA and NCAA Division II season with a 10-16 overall record and an 8-14 conference mark. The Bobcats swept the season series against Cal Poly Humboldt and Stanislaus State and recorded additional wins against four other conference opponents, including postseason qualifier Cal State San Marcos.
Source: UC Merced Athletics press release, March 4, 2026.
