Panthers take top spot in SCIAC with win over Redlands
ORANGE, Calif. – In a potential conference championship preview, the Chapman University women's basketball team edged out Redlands, severing the first-place tie with a 73-66 win at the Hutton Sports Center on Saturday. The Panthers' third straight victory and sixth in their last seven contests puts them in the driver's seat with five games remaining in the regular season.
In a hotly contested battle that featured 10 lead changes, Chapman (15-5, 9-2 SCIAC) delivered on both end of the court, draining 49 percent of their shot attempts (28-for-57) while showcasing a tough defense that limited the Bulldogs to 32 percent shooting (23-for-72).
Seeking to avenge an early-season loss to the Bulldogs, the Panthers came out aggressive on offense and it paid off. Trailing 10-9 six minutes into the contest, they went on a 14-2 run sparked by senior G Kimi Takaoka, who hit three straight three-pointers to propel the Panthers to a 23-12 lead. Takaoka finished the half with 11 points en route to a team-high 27 on the evening.
Redlands' Brittany Oster was busy in the paint early on, pouring in 14 points in the first half for the Bulldogs. The Chapman defense limited Redlands to 26 percent shooting in half to take a 33-25 lead into the locker room.
The Panthers controlled the pace of the game for much of the second half, until Oster sparked a 7-0 run that gave Redlands the lead with just over five minutes remaining. The rally did little to phase Chapman, however, as the team answered back emphatically, reclaiming a nine-point lead thanks to five straight points from sophomore F Sandra Gao.
The Bulldogs fought hard to close the gap in the final minutes, but a late three-pointer from Oster was all they could muster as they fell by the final of 73-66. Oster finished the contest with a game-high 30 points and 11 rebounds.
Gao tallied 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, scoring in double-digits for the 14th time this season, but the first time since Jan. 18.
Chapman will have a full week off to prepare for their next game on the road at Whittier. Tip-off for the first of two straight road contests is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Box score: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2013-14/boxscores/20140201_8bak.xml?view=boxscore
by Ryan Cavinder
Sports Information Assistant
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