Women's basketball defeats the Sagehens in overtime

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University women's basketball team defeated the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens in an overtime battle. Senior Julia Strand posted another double-double on the night and served up 23 points and 12 rebounds.

The Panthers started the first quarter up 7-0 and kept the Sagehens from scoring until six minutes into regulation. Pomona-Pitzer crept back and went into the second down 16-13. Strand put up six points in the first and went 3-5 from the field while Zoe Zurasky put up three from the bench.

Strand put the Panthers up 20-13 two minutes into the second but two Vanessa Hsia shots from the field put the Sagehens within another three points of Chapman. Hsia put up five for Pomona-Pitzer in the second quarter but the offensive effort was not enough to top the Panthers going into the Half. Strand posted another six while Kylee Ishibashi hit four off the bench.

Two Kaitlyn Leung shots from behind the arc put the Sagehens within one points of the Panthers in the third. Chapman gave up their first lead of the game to a Charlize Andaya three pointer with two minutes left and entered the fourth down 44-40.

The two teams were tied 46-46 with 6:30 left in the game, the Panthers finally gained footing with a Katie Kubo three setting them ahead 51-49. The score was set 53-53 with second left in regulation leaving neither team able to secure the game-winner.

Julianna Campas put up three for Chapman in overtime while Zurasky served up four off the bench going 2-2 in shots from the field. Chapman secured ten points in the five-minute period holding the Sagehens to six, ultimately securing the 63-69 win.

Zurasky took second in the scoring effort for Chapman and tallied 13 off the bench. Brittany McPherson secured 10 assists and six points while Kubo contributed nine on the night. The Panthers secured 19 points off the bench compared to the Sagehens ten.

Maison Yee led the scoring effort for the Sagehens and posted 15 points, she was trailed closely by Leung who totaled 14 going 6-10 in shots from the field. Vanessa was critical on the defensive side of the ball and tallied nine rebounds.

The Panthers return home on Sat., Feb. 5 to face the Redlands Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. in the second game of a men's and women's double header.