Comeback comes up just short in SCIAC championship game

CLAREMONT, Calif. – A tale was nearly repeated. A big deficit was erased in the second half but the Chapman University men's basketball came up just short in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament championship game with a 76-71 loss to top-seeded Pomona-Pitzer.

Over the final 16 minutes of the game, the Panthers completely turned things around. Pomona-Pitzer had built a 19-point lead at 59-40 and was shooting over 60 percent. Senior Hayden Moore hit a three-point shot to give the Panthers some life and sparked a 15-0 run over a six-minute span to bring Chapman right back into the game.

Senior Chandler White hit a trio of three-pointers during the stretch to fuel the run. He ended the game with a team-high of 22 points in 29 minutes off the bench. Moore finished with 17, including 11 points in the second half, and senior Jack Roggin finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Pete Boyle ended Chapman's lengthy run to put the Sagehens back up six but the Panthers crept crawling back. They took a 71-70 lead when White knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:24 remaining.

Joe Cookson responded with an easy lay-in on the next possession and the Sagehens kept Chapman off the board over the final minute to claim the tournament title.

The Sagehens built a 19-point lead behind 60 percent shooting in the first half. They also outrebounded the Panthers 20-10 in opening 20 minutes.

As the No. 3 team in the latest West Region rankings and a 22-4 record, the Panthers are in position to for an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. The selection show will be aired on NCAA.com at 9:30 a.m. (PT) on Monday.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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