Seniors score 46 as Chapman tops Dallas 65-45 in final home game

ORANGE, Calif. – In the final regular season home game of their careers, each Chapman University women's basketball senior scored at least two points as the Panthers topped the University of Dallas 65-45 on Sunday afternoon at the Hutton Sports Center. The seven seniors (Simone Ibbotson, Brandi Hood, Christina Ly, Tara Glennon, Casey Gomez, Jenna Nakasu and Kelli Yamamoto) combined to score 46 points, led by Ibbotson who had a team-high 13.

Dallas (11-11) kept the game close for much of the first half as they forced Chapman into 10 turnovers. Senior F Cara Sczepanski narrowed Chapman's lead to 21-15 at the 7:07 mark of the half. The Panthers then went on a 9-0 run over the next 2:30 to push their lead to 30-15 which was their largest of the half.

Dallas then went on an 8-0 run of its own highlighted by four points from Sczepanski to narrow the score to 30-23 with 1:10 before the half. Hood then hit a bucket to give Chapman a 32-23 halftime lead. Sczepanski had 10 points and six rebounds for the Crusaders on the afternoon while senior G Bethany Roessler finished with a game-high 14 points.

Chapman (20-4) asserted itself on defense in the second half scoring 17 points off 19 Dallas turnovers. Dallas committed 34 turnovers in the game. As a team Chapman had 20 steals led by five from Ly who now holds the Chapman single-season steals record with 91 this year. She passed Lauren Kamiyama who had the previous record of 86 set in 2009.

The Panthers led by double-digits for the entire second half, building their lead to as many as 22 points on several occasions. In addition to Ibbotson, Hood and Glennon finished in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

With the win, Chapman has now reached at least 20 wins in six of eight seasons under head coach Carol Jue.

by Chris Watts
Sports Information Assistant

Chapman Women's Basketball
Single-Season Steal Leaders

Player                     Season       Steals 
Christina Ly             2011           91
Lauren Kamiyama    2009           86       
Melody Bongiorno   2004           83