Home Court No Advantage for Chapman

Stuart Thomas, five years’ removed from Mater Dei High School, returned to a familiar basketball court, scored 37 points, his collegiate career-high, and helped Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to a 98-75 victory over Chapman on Friday.

When Thomas played for Mater Dei from 1984 to 1986, the Monarchs played most of their home games in Chapman’s Hutton Center and judging from his performance Friday, he hasn’t lost his touch.

Thomas, a 6-foot-8 center who transferred to San Luis Obispo after playing a year at Stanford, made 14 of 16 shots from the field and all nine of his free throws as the Mustangs easily won the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. game.

“This is my home court basically,” Thomas said. “I always had good games here. I get fired up to come south. I know these rims.”

Thomas’ 37-point total--his previous high was 34 in a game this season--was matched by Chapman’s Rog Middleton, also a career-high.

Thomas could move freely inside because Chapman was unable to match up well with his size and the Panthers couldn’t collapse on him because the Mustang guards didn’t miss many outside shots.

San Luis Obispo (13-10, 5-3 in the CCAA) shot 70% from the field. Especially damaging was freshman guard Jeff Oliver, who scored 21 points and made five of eight three-pointers. Tim Knowles, a 6-foot-7 forward from Mission Viejo, added 15.

Chapman (12-11, 2-6) shot 69.2% in the second half but it wasn’t nearly enough to make up the ground it lost in the first half when it trailed, 44-27.

Middleton, whose previous high was 36 last season against Chico State, scored 21 in the second half and brought Chapman within 14 points, 63-49, after he scored with 13 minutes 56 seconds remaining. That was as close as the Panthers came.

Chapman, now alone in last place in the conference, was tied, 12-12, with 13:03 left in the first half but San Luis Obispo then went on a 12-0 run, which included two three-pointers by Oliver and two three-point plays by Thomas.