The Chapman women’s basketball team started off the 2021-22 conference season 2-0 securing two wins last week, Brittany McPherson’s defensive effort was recognized as she was awarded Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Athlete of the Week honors.
McPherson and the Panthers held Cal Lutheran to 30.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 48.1 percent from the field in the 62-59 triumph. Caltech was held at 25.3 percent from three point range and 40.7 percent from the field. The Panthers forced 43 turnovers between the two games.
McPherson protected both leads with two blocks, one per game, and secured a total of 18 rebounds on the week. She totaled eight steals and three assists between the two games.
Last Wednesday, Pomona-Pitzer defeated Chapman 77-57, behind 16 points from Madison Quan and a double-double from Kayla Hankins, who recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Kaitlyn Leung also earned 12 points on the night with Amara Chidom recording 10 of her own. Alysha Maile Yamada had two points and a pair of assists off the bench for Pomona-Pitzer.
It was the first SCIAC loss of the season for Chapman, who got 12 points and eight rebounds from McPherson, along with 10 points from Sammie Inana. Katie Kubo scord eight with a pair of assists and Kylee Ishibashi added two points for the Panthers. The Sagehens shot 54.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc.
The Sagehens took the lead early and never looked back as they started the game on 13-4 run. Chapman scored two late buckets, but Kayla Hankins did the same to give the Sagehens a 17-8 lead going into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, the Sagehens outscored the Panthers 22-18, starting the period on an 11-3 run to take a 28-11 lead with 6:20 remaining in the half. Chapman responded with a short 3-0 run, but Leung drilled a three to bring it to an end with just over five minutes in the half.
The Panthers saw the better side of a 12-8 run to close out the half, cutting the Sagehens lead to 39-26.
Emily Church recorded the first basket of the third quarter with a layup. The two teams traded points with Hankins and Chidom both recording layups before Leung hit another three-pointer to give Pomona-Pitzer a 50-33 lead with 4:47 left in the quarter.
Overall, the Sagehens outscored Chapman 16-13 in the quarter to take a 55-39 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Leung continued to hit shots from downtown as she made it 60-43 with her fourth three of the night. Quan followed in pursuit minutes later, hitting her only three of the game, giving Pomona-Pitzer a 71-53 lead with 3:35 left to play.
Quan shot a perfect 100 percent on the night, making all three of her free throws and shooting 6-6 from the field. Quan scored the last bucket of the night with a layup to seal the 77-57 victory.
Chapman will host Wartburg on Dec. 19, while Pomona-Pitzer takes a break until Dec. 29 against Oberlin College.
– Chapman/Pomona-Pitzer Athletics