SPORTSCOPE : Azusa Pacific Rolling but Faces Tough Foe in Chapman

Off to one of its best starts in recent years, the Azusa Pacific University men’s basketball team figures to receive a difficult test when it plays host to Chapman at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Azusa.

Azusa Pacific, an NAIA team, enters the game with a 5-2 record and Chapman, an NCAA Division II squad, is 4-1.

Chapman is coached by Bob Boyd, who is in his first year with the Panthers and has a 27-year coaching record of 456-309, including stints at USC and Mississippi State.

Two standouts for the Panthers have been 6-4 sophomore forward Roger Middleton and 6-4 junior swing man Von Shuler.

Azusa split two games against Division II teams last week, dropping a 77-70 decision to Cal State Dominguez Hills before edging San Francisco State, 67-64.

The Cougars are headed by center Pat McMann, a sophomore transfer from Northern Arizona and a former Diamond Bar High standout who averages 18.2 points, and junior forward Matt Burns, a junior transfer from Green River Community College in Washington (18.1 points).

The Cougars visit struggling Pomona-Pitzer at 9 p.m. Saturday. The Sagehens entered the week with a 3-6 record.

After splitting two games in Northern California, the Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball team returns home against North Central College of Illinois at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Kellogg Gym.

The Broncos, 4-4, defeated College of Notre Dame in Belmont by 80-74 Saturday before dropping an 80-69 overtime decision to Cal State Hayward in Hayward.

North Central, an NCAA Division II team, entered the week with a 4-1 record. The Cardinals are led by 6-6 center Mike Patterson, who averages 16.3 points and 10 rebounds.

Pomona has been sparked by junior forward Terry Ross (6-6), who is averaging a team-leading 20.4 points and 11.7 rebounds. Other leaders are junior guard Chancellor McCobb (6-3), who averages 19.1 points, and senior forward Jim Skinner (6-4), who averages 11.2.

The Broncos also start junior Rafael Vargas (6-7) at center and sophomore D.J. Norman (6-1) at guard.

The Azusa Pacific women’s basketball team will try to extend a five-game winning streak when it visits Pomona-Pitzer at 7 p.m. Saturday at Voelkel Gymnasium in Claremont.

Azusa Pacific is 6-1 and Pomona-Pitzer, which has won its last three games, is 5-2.

Azusa, in the middle of nine road games in a row, is coming off road victories over Redlands (57-38) and La Verne (69-55) last week. The Cougars have been led by 6-2 center Amy Walters, who scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the victory over La Verne, and 5-10 forward Holly Ingersoll.

Pomona, which defeated the Master’s, 77-53., last Saturday, is paced by guard/forwards Anne Backus and Caryn Cranston (both 5-10) and 6-1 forward Dereka Pedersen. Cranston is the team’s leading scorer and Backus is tops in rebounds and assists.

Paul Gabriel, coach of the Cal Poly Pomona women’s volleyball team since 1984, has announced his resignation to pursue an NCAA Division I coaching position.

In six seasons at Pomona, Gabriel posted a 114-91 record, including a 16-18 record this season. The Broncos finished fifth in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. this season although the team was ranked in the Division II top 20 most of the season.

Gabriel’s teams were ranked in the Division II top 20 in five of his six seasons. The Broncos made the playoffs three times, including fifth-place finishes in 1984 and 1985.

“Paul has put a great deal of time and effort into the success of the Bronco program,” Athletic Director Karen Miller said.

“We accomplished many of our goals and fell short on others, but I leave with a positive feeling toward the overall experience,” Gabriel added.

Eleven San Gabriel Valley teams are in the final Kinney California State High School Cross-Country Rankings.

Maranatha of Sierra Madre, San Marino and Webb of Claremont are listed in both the boys and girls divisions.

Maranatha is No. 2 in girls Division III, having won the CIF Southern Section 1-A championship, and the Minutemen are No. 7 in boys Division III.

San Marino is No. 6 in girls Division II and No. 21 in boys Division II. and Webb No. 22 in boys Division III and No. 24 in girls Division III.

San Gabriel is ranked No. 23 in boys Division I, South Pasadena No. 5 in boys Division II, South Hills of West Covina No. 16 and Los Altos of Hacienda Heights No. 20 in girls Division II and La Salle of Pasadena No. 4 in boys Division III.