Chapman Stops Northridge, 79-74 : Free Throws, Hilton’s 20 Points Make the Difference

Chapman College center Mark Hilton, averaging only 3.9 points a game, scored 20 points to lead the Panthers to a 79-74 victory over Cal State Northridge in a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. basketball game Thursday at Northridge.

Hilton made 7 of 10 shots from the field and 6 of 8 free throws.

The Panthers kept Northridge from penetrating much of the game. Derrick Gathers, a 6-foot 3-inch junior, scored a game-high 25 points for Northridge. He was 8 for 16 from the field, including 6 of 11 from 3-point range. His 6 3-pointers tied a school record. Northridge hit 12 of 24 3-point attempts.

Northridge and Chapman both are 2-2 in the CCAA. Northridge is 11-6 overall. Chapman is 9-8.

The teams exchanged the lead several times in the second half, with Chapman holding the biggest edge, 43-37.

Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy shuffled his lineup often as he was forced to try combinations that hadn’t played together this season. Center Todd Bowser injured his shoulder and hip when he crashed into the bleachers while chasing a loose ball in the first half.

The score was tied, 66-66, with 3 minutes left when Hilton broke free for a layup that put Chapman in the lead for good.

The Panthers stretched their advantage to 72-66 with a minute left, then made the front-end of 5 consecutive 1-and-1 free-throw situations.

Chapman made 11 of 13 free throws in the second half and 15 of 18 in the game. Senior guard Dean Balcao made 7 of 8, all in the second half, and had 12 points. Senior forward Russ Ortega and sophomore guard Bryan Richetto scored 14 points each.