Late comeback attempt comes up just short in NCAA First Round

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Chapman University men's basketball team hung tough but ultimately fell 91-84 at No. 11 Whitman in the First Round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. The first 15 minutes featured a seesaw battle that saw the lead change hands several times.

Ultimately, the turnover battle caught up to Chapman. The Panthers shot 64 percent in the first half to overcome an 8-2 turnover deficit in the first half but the Missionaries started pulling away late in the second half as it forced Chapman into 12 more turnovers. Chapman turned the ball over 20 times but forced only five turnovers from the host Missionaries.

With the game scored 40-40 at halftime, the two teams traded blows over the first seven-plus minutes. Sophomore James Taylor gave Chapman a 60-58 lead with 12:16 to go after back-to-back layups but Whitman responded with the largest run of the game.

Taylor ended the game with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting to lead the Panthers. SCIAC Athlete of the Year Cam Haslam ended his stellar freshman season with 21 points, including 14 in the second half.

Whitman quickly tied the game back up at 60-60 after Christian McDonald's jumper and continued on a 21-5 run over the next six and a half minutes that saw the Missionaries hold the biggest lead of the night at 79-65.

Chapman did not go quietly as it had the lead whittled down to single digits with 1:39 to go after a three-pointer from Haslam. The Missionaries struggled at the line down the stretch, making just 3-of-10 foul shots in the final minute and a half.

The Panthers took full advantage and had the lead all the way down to four at 88-84 with 1:12 to go after Haslam and junior Luke Hamlin both knocked down a pair of free throws. However, Whitman was able to force a final two turnovers and hit a couple free throws to get the lead back to 90-84 with 21 seconds left. Chapman's final attempt fell short and the Missionaries ran the clock out to advance to Saturday's second round matchup at Whitworth.

Hamlin had 14 points for the Panthers while sophomore Rob Nelsen pitched in 10. McDonald led five Missionaries in double digits with 17 points and Tim Howell had 16. The Panthers shot 54 percent on the night and outrebounded the Missionaries 38-28.

by Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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