Bakersfield Overpowers Chapman

Cal State Bakersfield, showing the quickness and inside power that has made it one of the favorites to win the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., overpowered Chapman, 83-70, in a CCAA opener Friday night at the Hutton Center.

The Roadrunners (10-4, 1-0 in the CCAA) are the defending CCAA champions and NCAA Division II runners-up and left little doubt they are for real this season, shooting 74% in the second half and 66% for the game. Bakersfield won its third consecutive game and ninth of its past 10.

The torrid second-half shooting, fueled by many driving layups and wide-open shots, pushed Bakersfield to a 20-point lead with 2 minutes 5 seconds remaining.

But the game had been decided long before, and Chapman (10-6, 0-1) was never really in it after a dismal first-half shooting performance.

The Panthers, who entered the game with the sixth-best shooting percentage in Division II (54%), made only four of their first 18 shots and shot 43% in the game. Free throws were also a problem for the Panthers in the first half--they missed five of seven.

The poor shooting allowed Bakersfield to take a 35-26 halftime lead and made Chapman Coach Bob Boyd angry enough to lambaste his players in the locker room after the game. Boyd’s shouting easily could be heard through the closed door.

“That was sorry,” Boyd said, after stepping away from his players. “I don’t know if we can beat Bakersfield or not because we didn’t play very well, and to come as far as we have and decide to stink up the place is very upsetting.

“They are a good team with quality athletes, but we are supposed to make free throws and easy shots and at the same time guard, and we didn’t do it.”

Al Jackson made a 30-foot three-pointer at the first-half buzzer to cut the Bakersfield lead to nine points. Rog Middleton made two free throws in the first minute of the second half to cut the lead to seven, but after Darrin Connolly made a three-pointer to put Bakersfield up, 38-28, the Roadrunners never trailed by fewer than eight.

Middleton scored 22 points, including nine of 11 free throws in the second half for Chapman.

Guards Fred Eckles and Kenny Warren scored 17 and 15 points and forward Beau Redstone had 16 for the Roadrunners.