This time Panthers win by one, beat La Verne in final seconds
ORANGE, Calif. - For the second time in as many contests the Chapman University's men's basketball game came down to the final seconds. This time the Panthers came out on the right side of a one-point decision, a 64-63 victory over visiting University of La Verne at the Hutton Sports Center on Saturday night. Junior F Justin Riley's fade-away jumper with 25 seconds left in the game proved to be the game-winner as Chapman came up with a defensive stop in the end.
Chapman (8-1) has now won 17 of its last 18 games dating back to last season. The Panthers had their 17-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday with a one-point defeat to Claremont.
The Panthers exhaled a collective sigh of relief as La Verne (1-6) was unable to get off one final shot attempt to try to win the game on its final possession. The Leopards had rallied from an 11-point second half deficit and took their first lead of the game, 59-58, on a three-pointer from G John Leggett with just under 2 minutes remaining in the game. The lead would change hands five more times before the final horn as the opponents exchanged baskets down the stretch.
It was Riley who took control for Chapman with the threat of back-to-back losses looming. The junior closed out the game with the team's final eight points, including three buckets in the final 2 minutes. Riley finished with a game-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting and added three assists.
Chapman had built a comfortable advantage in the first half, leading by as many as 12 at one point. The Panthers closed out the half strong as senior PG Kyle Wood made his first four field goal attempts and scored 12 of his 16 points before halftime. Chapman led by nine going into the break.
The Panthers' bench also came up big when needed as junior F Jon Consani played some tough minutes, scoring eight points, and sophomore PG Brandon Lin made a pair of threes. Chapman shot 54.5 percent from the floor in the game (24-for-44).
Three players scored in double-digits for La Verne, led by C Austin Napolitano's 16 points and five rebounds. Leggett finished with 11 points and five assists as the Leopards lost for the fourth consecutive time.
by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director
Box Score: http://chapmanathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2009-10/stats/ulv-cu.htm