MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Chapman at a Loss After Middleton Fouls Out

For 12 minutes 18 seconds Saturday night, Chapman College found out what basketball can be like without Rog Middleton.

Although the remaining Panthers put up a fight, it wasn’t enough, and Cal Poly Pomona hung on for a 62-58 California Collegiate Athletic Assn victory at Chapman’s Hutton Center.

Terry Ross, Pomona’s 6-foot-6 senior forward, had 31 points, half of the scoring for the Broncos (12-8, 4-1 in the CCAA), who moved into first place because UC Riverside and Cal State Bakersfield lost Saturday.

Middleton, the Panthers’ leading scorer and rebounder, left the game with his fifth foul with 12:18 remaining, but the Chapman coaching staff didn’t know it.

Chapman Coach Bob Boyd said he didn’t realize it until two minutes later when he told Middleton to go back into the game.

Boyd said he thought Middleton’s fifth foul had been his fourth.

“I wouldn’t have had him in there so early in the second half with four fouls,” Boyd said.

But even without Middleton, who left with 13 points--10 below his average--the Panthers rallied. Chapman scored two consecutive baskets, the second of which was a jump shot by Zlatko Josic that tied the score, 47-47, with 11:15 remaining.

The Panthers (11-9, 1-4 in the CCAA) had a couple of chances to take the lead or tie the score but were unable to make the key play.

First, with 49 seconds remaining and trailing, 59-58, Alan Schlines missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity at the free-throw line.

Then with 12 seconds left, Andre Hill fouled Pomona’s Eric Mobley, who missed the free throw that should have given Chapman the ball and time for a shot. But Josic couldn’t control the rebound and Pomona got the ball back.

Andre Harrell then made two free throws with 10 seconds remaining and the Panthers turned over the ball trying to set up a last-second three-point shot for Chris Martin.

“Al couldn’t make a free throw and Zlatko couldn’t catch the rebound,” Boyd said. “All these little things happen in close games.”

The missed free throw by Schlines was among the few things he did wrong all night. He made eight of nine shots from the field and equaled his career-high by scoring 17 points. Schlines, a 6-6 junior transfer from Orange Coast College who usually comes off the bench, started and played every minute of the game.

Josic had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Panthers, who lost only for the second time in nine home games this season.

In nonconference basketball:

The Master’s 95, Southern California College 71--Jeff Bickmore scored 22 points for Southern California College (16-5).

In Western Christian Athletic Conference:

Pacific Christian 99, Arizona College of the Bible 68--Kenny Crawford scored 26 points and Phil Garcia 18 for visiting Pacific Christian (21-12, 10-2). Pacific Christian trailed, 36-34, at halftime but went on a 28-7 run in the first 10 minutes of second half to seal the victory.