Takaoka leads Chapman to 2-0 start at Tip-Off Classic

REDLANDS, Calif. – The Chapman University women's basketball team began the new season on the right foot, winning a pair of games at the Redlands Tip-Off Classic over the weekend. The Panthers defeated Hardin-Simmons University (Texas) 70-58 on Friday night before handling NAIA opponent UC Merced 78-63 on Saturday.

Junior G Kimi Takaoka scored a career-high 35 points against UC Merced and was named to the All-Tournament team for the second year in a row.

Game 1: Chapman 70, Hardin-Simmons 58
The Panthers never trailed in the game after jumping on HSU for a 13-4 lead thanks to a three-pointer by freshman G Lauren Sato at the 14:41 mark of the first half. Chapman led by double digits for most of the second half, aided by 10 points from another freshman F Sandra Gao who finished with a team-high 19, including going 7 of 10 from the field. Takaoka added 15 points and sophomore G Andrea Villanueva pitched in 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2012-13/boxscores/20121116_nh0p.xml

Game 2: Chapman 78, UC Merced 63
It was a career night for Takaoka who scored 20 before the first half was over, and it started right away as she hit her first shot of the night – one of six three-pointers – in the first 30 seconds of the game. Despite Takaoka's early dominance, Merced kept it close in the first half, rallying from a 10-point deficit to take a one-point lead with 3:52 left in the half at 32-31. Chapman pushed back with another three from Takaoka and then a buzzer-beater by senior G Anne Yoshimura to lead 44-36 at halftime.

Chapman (2-0) scored the first six points of the second half to extend its lead to 14 and never looked back. Takaoka's 35 points eclipsed her previous career-high by one (34 vs. La Verne, 12/2/11) and was just three points shy of the all-time Chapman record. She was 13-for-22 from the floor, including shooting 6 of 8 from three-point range.

Gao earned her first career double-double with 15 points and 13 boards as the Panthers out-rebounded Merced by more than double, 47-23. Senior G Emily McCoy added a pair of threes and totaled 11 points. Chapman was 10 of 16 from beyond the arc.

Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2012-13/boxscores/20121117_sxlu.xml

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

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