Women's basketball keeps rolling with 11th straight win

ORANGE, Calif. – Sophomore Lucy Criswell nearly set a new career-high by halftime as the Chapman University women's basketball rolled to a 78-58 win over visiting Redlands on Wednesday. The Panthers (17-3, 11-0 SCIAC) extended their win streak to 11 games and stayed perfect in SCIAC play.

With the win, the Panthers have already locked up a spot in the SCIAC Tournament and can clinch a home-court advantage in the semifinals with a win on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (11-10, 6-6 SCIAC) matched the Panthers for the first six minutes as the teams were tied up at 12-12 with 3:54 to play. Chapman went on to score the last eight points of the quarter to take a commanding 20-12 lead at the first break.

Criswell scored four points during the run and totaled 10 in the first quarter to lead the Panthers. She stayed hot in the second quarter with another 10 points, including a pair of threes, to have 20 points at halftime. Her previous career-high was 21 points.

Criswell ended the game with 25 points as the Panthers cruised through the second half. Junior Jaryn Fajardo was closing in on a triple-double but wound up shy with 16 points, seven assists and six rebounds. She also had a pair of steals. Criswell also contributed six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. Senior Jaime Hum-Nishikado scored 14 points and hit four threes. Freshman Brittany McPherson dished out six assists and scored eight points.

The Panthers' 8-0 to end the first quarter extended to a 14-0 run with baskets from Criswell, senior Irma Munoz, and Fajardo to start the second. The Bulldogs were able to cut the lead back into single digits with a couple of Alison Siksnus free throws before Criswell, Hum-Nishikado and Criswell again hit threes on back-to-back-to-back possessions to push the lead up to 16 points at 39-23. Chapman led 43-25 at halftime.

Hum-Nishikado scored 11 of her 14 points in the third quarter as Chapman continued to extend its lead to as much as 26 points and cruised to the final horn to take its 11th consecutive win.

Chapman forced 26 turnovers from Redlands and turned those into 30 points. Chapman also outrebounded Redlands 34-30 in the win.

Chapman returns home for a doubleheader on Saturday against Cal Lutheran. The men's game tips at 2 p.m. with the women's game following at 4 p.m.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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