Chapman Holds On to Playoff Hopes With 71-67 Victory

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Chapman College basketball Coach Rich Prospero liked what he saw Thursday night.

The Panthers were fighting for their postseason existence Thursday against Cal State Northridge in front of 600 at the Hutton Sports Center.

Both teams needed victories to have a realistic chance at qualifying for the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. playoffs.

In a game of such importance, neither side played well. But the Panthers played just well enough to hold off the Matadors, 71-67.

Bryan Richetto and Mike Minier each made a pair of free throws in the final minute to clinch the victory.

However, the final outcome took a little luck. When Minier and Northridge’s Darren Matsubara both dove on a loose ball with 17 seconds left, the possession arrow was pointing in Chapman’s favor. The Panthers had the ball and a 69-67 lead.

“This is an ugly league with ugly games,” Prospero said. “But I’ll tell you, there were 10 guys playing hard out there tonight.”

Prospero stopped short of calling it winning ugly, but it was certainly surviving ugly.

The Panthers turned the ball over 14 times. They made only 13 of 21 free throws. They even squandered most of a 10-point lead in the final 4:29. They still won.

And with the victory, Chapman (13-11 overall, 6-5 in CCAA play) took control of its destiny. The Panthers are in fourth place, the last playoff spot, one game ahead of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal State Bakersfield, with three games left.

Ugly or not, all the Panthers have to do is win.

“We’re on our way,” Prospero said.

The score was tied, 36-36, at halftime. Chapman had taken a 9-4 lead, only to fall behind, 27-17.

The Panthers then outscored the Matadors, 16-0, during a 5-minute stretch to take a 33-27 lead with 2:42 left in the half.

Northridge (14-10, 5-6) shot just 40% in the second half, as Chapman played a tight man-to-man defense. The Matadors made only three of their first 12 shots at the start of the second half. The Panther defense was led by Rog Middleton, who had five blocked shots.

Northridge’s dull shooting was just the lull the Panthers needed, as they went on a 16-8 run to take a 52-44 lead with 12:08 remaining.

Bryan Richetto (14 points) and Mark Hilton (12 points) each had two baskets during the run.

The Panthers increased their lead to 58-48 with 10:13 left, as Russ Ortega turned into a rebounding force.

Though Ortega (17 points), a 6-foot-5 forward, had only six rebounds, three were off the offensive board, all came within a 3-minute stretch and all were converted into baskets.

With a 10-point lead, Prospero had his team spread the court and slow the pace in an effort to take some time off the clock. It worked in that regard, but it also allowed the Matadors back into the game.

Chapman missed five of nine free throws during a 9-minute stretch and Northridge pulled to with two, 67-65, with 1:09 left.