Four score in double figures as women's basketball wins fifth straight
ORANGE, Calif. – Four players scored in double figures as the Chapman University women's basketball team won its fifth game in a row with an 84-68 victory over visiting La Verne on Thursday. Senior Natalia Ebrahimian led everyone with 22 points and 11 rebounds, including 10 offensive rebounds, in the win.
The Panthers (14-6, 9-2 SCIAC) won for 12th time in their last 13 games, dating back to Dec. 21. Ebrahimian posted her fifth double-double of the season. With the win, Chapman remained tied for second place in the SCIAC with Cal Lutheran.
While the Panthers starters posted strong numbers on the offensive end of the floor, it came with a solid defensive effort that forced the Leopards (3-15, 2-8 SCIAC) into 26 turnovers. Chapman turned the ball over only six times as the Panthers held a decisive 28-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Four starters were in double figures, including Ebrahimian. Sophomore Megan Charles netted 17 points while junior Lauren Sato had 15 points and freshman Katelyn Serizawa pitched in 12 points. Sato led CU on the defensive end with six steals and Serizawa dished out a team-high five assists. In addition to her double-double, Ebrahimian had a pair of assists, a steal and a block.
Chapman never trailed in the contest as it opened up a 6-0 lead right out of the gates. Nine forced turnovers and 9-of-10 shooting from the free throw line led to 23-13 advantage after the first quarter. Despite shooting 50 percent, CU held La Verne to just 27 first-half points with the help of 16 Leopard turnovers.
La Verne took better care of the ball in the second half and used a hot shooting hand to narrow the gap. The Leopards outscored Chapman in the third and continued on a run in the fourth quarter. A lead that had steadily stayed in double digits quickly dwindled down to nine when Shannon Irwin hit a pair of free throws to make it 59-50 with 9:04 to play.
The Leopards continued to chip away and soon had the lead down to just four points when Faye Osburn drained a jumper to make it 65-1 with less than four minutes to go. Chapman responded as senior Kristen Gilman converted a three-point play to spark a 19-7 run down the stretch that sealed the victory.
Kayla Chism scored all eight of her points in the fourth to fuel the rally for La Verne. Irwin led the Leopards with 17 points while Osburn had a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.
Chapman faces a tough road to secure a spot in the SCIAC Tournament with four of its last five games on the road. The road swing starts Saturday when the Panthers visit Pomona-Pitzer for a 7 p.m. tip off.
By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director
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