Chapman Shoots Poorly Again, Loses Finale, 63-53

Sometimes, things just don’t seem to add up.

On Thursday, Chapman College shot just 26% in the first half and 42% for the game against a Cal State Dominguez Hills team that had beaten the Panthers by 27 points (93-66) earlier this season. However, with 49 seconds to play, Chapman found itself down by just five, 57-52, with possession of the ball. Go figure that. Must be the new math.

In the end, of course, the only figure that mattered was the final score. Chapman came up on the short end of that equation, 63-53, in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. finale for the Panthers in the Hutton Sports Center.

Chapman’s fate was written with that possession at 49 seconds. Bringing the ball into the front court, Panther guard Mike Kelly was hounded by Toro guard Willie Thomas. When Thomas attempted a steal by diving at the ball, Kelly was so flustered that he dribbled the ball off his foot into the backcourt where he regained possession but was assessed with a backcourt violation.

With 39 seconds left, Thomas made two free throws to increase the Toro lead to 59-52. Dominguez Hills hit 16 straight free throws in the last 4:28 of the game. In fact, the last field goal Dominguez Hills made was with 10:40 remaining.

Thomas, an 85% free throw shooter who is No. 7 in that category in NCAA Division 2 basketball, accounted for eight of those free throws down the stretch. Toro Coach Dave Yanai, had his team run a spread offense the last six minutes of the game, with the ball in Thomas’ hands a majority of the time.

“In a situation like that, I want the No. 7 free throw shooter in the country to have the ball,” said Yanai whose team moved into sole possession of second place in the CCAA, thanks to Cal State Los Angeles’s loss to Northridge.

The Panthers had trailed by as many as 15 points with 10 minutes to play. But Coach Kevin Wilson utilized mass substitutions that had five players coming in every two minutes.

“We knew we’d have to play aggressive against them and I think it was to our advantage to a have fresh people out there all the time,” said Wilson who finished his first season at Chapman with a 13-14 record. It is the Panthers’ first losing season in six years.

Forward William Alexander led Dominguez Hills with 14 points. Thomas added 12, all on free throws. Dominguez Hills’ 6-foot 7-inch, 270-pound center Kevin Burrell also scored 12 points and led the Toros with 12 rebounds.

Playing in his final college game, forward Johnny Williams led Chapman with 14 points and had 6 rebounds. Kelly added 12 points.

DOMINGUEZ HILLS (63)--Thomas 12, Nojima 4, Alexander 14, Nomaaea 8, Edwards 4, Watson 9, Burrell 12.

CHAPMAN (53)--O’Hern 2, Ross 5, Kelly 12, Jones 4, Briggs 4, Weninger 2, Marusich 2, Williams 14, Cato 4, Brennan 4.

Halftime--Dominguez Hills, 25-18.