The game was a defensive struggle from tip-off through the final buzzer. In the third meeting of the year between them, Chapman (21-4) held Claremont to a 33.3 field goal percentage and just 20 first half points. But Claremont (21-6) also took the Panthers out of their game, which has seen them nationally ranked in such statistical categories as scoring offense (76.9 ppg) and field goal percentage (46.0 percent). Chapman shot a below-average 42.2 percent from the field and was held to under 60 points for just the second time this season. The Panthers earned the advantage in the season series, winning two of the three games.
Leading the way for Chapman was senior guard Mel Bongiorno (Stowe, VT), who scored a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds and six steals. Freshman forward Courtney Minifee (East Lansing, MI) was the game’s top rebounder, grabbing nine boards and totaling 17 points, while defensively holding Claremont’s leading scorer Sarah Kolbeck (Santa Paula, CA) to a sub-par 12 points, including just two second half points. Freshman guard Lana Young (Honolulu, HI) led the Athenas with 13 points in the loss.
Chapman will host the University of Puget Sound (Wash.) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the second round of the tournament. The winner will move into the “Sweet 16”. The Loggers (21-4) earned a first round bye as champions of the Northwest Conference. Chapman defeated Puget Sound, 68-51, in the last meeting between the two teams in Orange in 2002.
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Game stats can be found online:
http://www.chapman.edu/athletics/03-04/wbasketball/cms-cu2.htm
NEXT CU WOMEN’S GAME: March 6th vs. Puget Sound (WA); 7:30 pm