Late free throws secure SCIAC Tournament title

ORANGE, Calif. – Freshman Cam Haslam sunk a pair of free throws with two seconds left on the clock to send the Chapman University men's basketball team to the NCAA Tournament with a 71-69 win over Redlands on Saturday. It is the Panthers second SCIAC Tournament in three years.

Neither team held more than an eight point lead through the entire game nor the game became even tighter down the stretch. After the 10-minute mark of the second half, the teams were separated by two points or less until the final buzzer sounded with the Panthers holding the edge.

Haslam ended the game with 21 points, including the Panthers' last four points of the game. After junior Luke Hamlin dropped in a layup to tie the game, senior Davis Dragovich forced a crucial turnover. Haslam knocked down a pull-up jumper from 14 feet to give CU a 69-67 edge.

Blake O'Brien pulled down an offensive rebound on the other end and dropped in the put back to tie the game back up at 69-69. Haslam drove the lane with two seconds left and drew a foul to get to the line, where he knocked down the two game-winning free throws. Redlands' desperation pass down the floor was deflected away and time ran out.

Haslam scored 12 of his 21 points in the second half to help the Panthers come back from a small deficit. Redlands led by as much as four in the second half with 10:37 left. Sophomore Tyler Green knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to put the Panthers right back in front.

Chapman opened the game on a 12-5 run and led by four at the half. Redlands erased the lead early in the second and kept a hot shooting hand throughout the final stanza, shooting 56.7 percent in the half and 50.8 percent in the game.

Hamlin was just shy of a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds to go along with three assists. Sophomore Rob Nelsen scored 10 points and James Taylor scored 12 while pulling down five boards.

Chapman will find out its tournament draw on Monday at 9:30 a.m. when the Division III Men's Basketball Tournament Selection Show airs on NCAA.com.

by Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

Become a fan of Chapman Athletics on Facebook
Follow Chapman Athletics on Twitter @ChapmanSports
Post your #PantherPic to Instagram @ChapmanSports
#Chaptown