Thompson Gives Lift to Chapman

Mo Thompson doesn’t score many points or get many rebounds for the Chapman College basketball team. So he doesn’t always get much attention.

Obviously, Thompson knows his contributions aren’t always going to be reflected in the box scores. He teaches physical education at a local elementary school, and his students constantly remind him of his lack of scoring.

“They pick up the paper and look for my scoring total,” he said. “Then they say, ‘You only got three points. Is that how much you’ve done in the game?’ ”

But there’s little question that Thompson helped lead the Panthers to a berth in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. tournament last weekend.

Chapman, which received strong back-to-back performances from Thompson, won two straight games to earn a tournament spot. Against Riverside, Thompson scored 5 points and had 7 assists in 24 minutes and the Panthers won, 75-70. He scored 8 points and finished with 7 assists the next night in an 83-80 victory over Cal Poly Pomona.

In addition to winning both games, Chapman needed some luck, which came courtesy of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Cal Poly SLO rallied from a three-point deficit in the final seven seconds to defeat Cal State Northridge, 68-67, on Saturday. That left Chapman and Northridge tied for the final spot, and the Panthers advanced because they have a better overall record.

The fourth-seeded Panthers (15-13) could wind up playing the team that helped them get to the playoffs. But first they must defeat top-seeded Cal State Dominguez Hills (20-7) in a game at 2:30 at San Luis Obispo. In the second game, second-seeded Cal Poly SLO (18-9) meets third-seeded UC Riverside (19-8) at 8:30 p.m.

Beating Dominguez Hills will be difficult, but not impossible. Dominguez Hills was the only conference team to defeat Chapman twice this season, and the Toros have a six-game winning streak over the Panthers.

In the first meeting, Dominguez Hills beat Chapman, 76-69, at Carson. But Jon Samuelson, the Panthers’ leading scorer, played with the flu and had an off game. In the second meeting, Chapman forward Kelly Huston was out with a dislocated right kneecap, and the Toros won easily, 80-59.

“In practice, we’re not doing anything where somebody can get hurt, like crash into a wall,” said Kevin Wilson, Chapman coach. “I think it’s important enough to be healthy going into playoffs.”

Said Thompson of the game: “It’s going to be a war.”

As the shortest player (5-feet 11-inches) on Chapman’s squad, Thompson gives the Panthers something more than the usual ball-handling and passing skills of a point guard.

Samuelson and Dave Roth take care of the points. Karl Tompkins and Huston take care of the rebounds.

Thompson?

“He’s got a spark in him and a little fire,” Wilson said. “He plays on a pretty even keel, which is good in foreign gyms. He doesn’t get shook up. He has a bit of charisma.”

Depending on the situation, Thompson or Samuelson plays point guard. Thompson usually brings the ball up against a full-court press, allowing Samuelson to play wing.

“His job is to get the ball down the floor,” Wilson said. “What he does probably more than anything is create a more up-tempo game because he really pushes the ball down the floor well. He creates a little bit more of pressure defense because he’s a little bit quicker than when we have Jon up front.

“The third thing he does is allow Jon Samuelson to get more involved in rebounding. So when Sam gets the rebounds, it’s really a credit to Mo.”

Thompson, who transferred with Chris Perine to Chapman from Santa Rosa Junior College, doesn’t mind starting or coming off the bench. There was a time when he disliked starting, but now he says he doesn’t care.

“I know I’m going to get my playing time anyway,” he said.

Panther Notes

The Panthers’ last appearance in postseason competition was in 1985, when they lost to Puget Sound in the first round of the NCAA Division II West Regionals. . . . A brief look at the other three teams in the tournament: Cal State Dominguez Hills--The Toros defeated Cal Poly Pomona and UC Riverside last weekend to tie with Cal Poly SLO for the conference title. Because the Toros have a better overall record, they were named the tournament’s top-seeded team. Senior forward William Alexander, who had 30 points against Chapman in the second meeting, is the leading scorer. Cal Poly SLO--The Mustangs are playing better than any CCAA team. SLO defeated Cal State Los Angeles, 51-50, with Mark Otta’s last-second basket on Friday. Otta came through again the next day and completed a four-point play with seven seconds remaining to beat Cal State Northridge, 68-67. UC Riverside--The Highlanders struggled last weekend, losing games to Chapman and Dominguez Hills. The Panthers are the only CCAA team to beat Riverside twice. Senior forward Robert Jimerson (19.7-point average) leads the Highlanders.