Women's basketball downs Caltech for second win in a row

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University women's basketball team picked up its second win in a row with a 72-61 victory over visiting Caltech on Saturday. Julia Strand recorded her eighth double-double of the year and three more players scored in double figures to key the win.

Strand scored 18 points to go along with 13 rebounds and five assists for her third consecutive double-double. She scored nine of her 18 points in the opening quarter to lift Chapman out of its slow start to the game.

Julianna Campas, Zoe Zurasky and Katie Kubo all scored 11 points with Zurasky's 11 coming off the bench. She doubled her career total for made three-pointers, going 3-for-4 in the game. Kubo also had five rebounds and four assists while Campas committed no turnovers and grabbed four rebounds.

A slow offensive start for both teams benefitted Caltech as the Beavers opened a 7-1 lead over the first six minutes of the game. Strand scored the next nine points of the game to put the Panthers briefly ahead before Caltech ended the quarter with a pair of three pointers for a 13-10 lead at the first break.

Chapman closed the gap in the second and the two teams seesawed for the majority of the quarter. With the score tied at 23-23 and time winding down, Campas threw up a three-pointer on the run and drained the buzzer beater for a 26-23 halftime lead.

A 9-3 run over a three-minute span in the third but Chapman comfortably ahead 39-30 and the Panthers continued to pull away as Zurasky hit her third three of the afternoon to push the lead into double digits for the first time with 4:39 left in the quarter.

Cristin Lue finished off a 9-0 run late with a three-pointer that grew the lead to 16 points with just under two minutes to go in the third. Caltech fought back and sliced the lead down into single digits in the fourth but never came closer than eight points down the stretch as Chapman grabbed its second win in a row

With the win, the Panthers leap into a three-way tie for fifth place near with seven games left to play. Chapman next takes on Redlands at home on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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