Takaoka hits game-winner as Chapman tops Puget Sound 72-70

ORANGE, Calif. – With 1.3 seconds remaining, sophomore G Kimi Takaoka hit a baseline floater from the left wing to give the Chapman University women's basketball team a 72-70 win over the University of Puget Sound on Saturday night at the Hutton Sports Center. Chapman has now won five of its last six games.

Takaoka's game-winning basket came just 15 seconds after Puget Sound (6-3) tied the game at 70-70 on a basket by freshman G Amanda Forshay who had 14 points on the night. Takaoka finished with a game-high 19 points including 4-of-6 from the three-point line.

Chapman (6-4) led by as many as 15 points with 9:34 remaining in the second half after a basket by senior C Brandi Hood, only to see the lead disappear. Over the final nine minutes, Puget Sound outscored Chapman 28-15 and used its pressure defense to get back in the game. Hood joined Takaoka with 19 points, while adding 12 rebounds.

In the first half, Puget Sound held a lead from the 16:42 mark after a basket by senior G Jocelyn Riordan until the 13:23 mark. Chapman junior F Liz Hartnett scored back-to-back hoops to give the team an 11-9 lead. The Panthers maintained their lead until Forshay's basket with 15 seconds remaining in the second half tied the game at 70 apiece. Hartnett added 10 points for Chapman while Riordan had a team-high 15 points to go along with five rebounds for Puget Sound.

Once again, Chapman's starters stepped up, scoring 70 of the team's 72 points with all five players scoring in double figures. Puget Sound had a balanced offensive attack with 38 of its 70 points coming from the starting five.

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by Chris Watts
Sports Information Assistant

Boxscore: http://chapmanathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2011-12/boxscores/20111217_9h9g.xml