CHAPMAN DOUBLETREE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Chapman Starts With a Rout; Newcomer Driver Scores 18

Chapman opened its men’s basketball season with an 85-36 rout of Pacific Christian Friday in the first round of the Chapman Doubletree Classic.

The Panthers took leads of 9-0, 17-1 and 27-3 and were never threatened by Pacific Christian, which didn’t score its first field goal until almost seven minutes into the game.

Although Pacific Christian, which lost to Chapman, 102-40, last season, was less than a test for the Panthers, Coach Bob Boyd said he was satisfied that his team maintained its concentration and defensive intensity.

Chapman will play Southern California College, an 81-69 winner over UC Davis, in the championship at 8 tonight.

From the outset--a dunk by Rog Middleton after the opening tip--it was apparent that Pacific Christian (2-3) was badly overmatched.

Middleton, the Panthers’ leading scorer the past two seasons, played less than half the game and scored 17 points.

With Middleton out, the rest of the Panthers got a chance to fire it up. Alan Schlines scored 11 points, Mike Vaughn had seven and each of the 10 Panthers who played scored.

Most impressive was Marcell Driver, a transfer from Ball State who hadn’t played a college game since 1989. Driver, who led the state in scoring for Citrus College in 1988-89, scored 18 points, pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and had six blocks.

In a first-round men’s game:

Southern California College 81, UC Davis 69--Rick Witmer scored 23 points, including five three-point shots as the Vanguards upset Division II Davis.

Mike West scored 11 points and Mike Henjum scored nine, all on three-pointers, for SCC (2-0).

In a first-round women’s game:

St. Thomas (Minn.) 59, Chapman 48--Laurie Trow had 36 points and 19 rebounds for the Tommies. Marvette Williams scored 16 points for Chapman, which after trailing 28-25 at the half, took a 29-28 lead on two consecutive baskets by Williams. But St. Thomas scored the next six points and never trailed again.