COLLEGE ROUNDUP : SCC Easily Beats Chapman to Win Tournament Title

Paced by a tenacious defense and dead-eye three-point shooting, the Southern California College men’s basketball team defeated Chapman, 87-62, Saturday for the championship of the Chapman Doubletree Classic.

SCC (3-0), an NAIA Division I team, continues to beat up on the supposed bullies on the block. The Vanguards opened with a victory over Biola, defeated UC Davis Friday and easily disposed of the Panthers (1-1), who play in NCAA Division II.

Once again, the key for the Vanguards was outside shooting--12-of-24 three-point shooting.

It was SCC’s second title in this tournament in four years.

In the first half, it was tournament most valuable player Rick Witmer who supplied the long-range shots. His third three-pointer of the first half with 49 seconds left gave SCC a 42-32 halftime lead. Witmer, who had scored 11 points by halftime, finished with 13 for the game.

Then Mike Henjum took over, scoring 18 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, including three three-pointers.

Consecutive three-pointers by Henjum gave the Vanguards a 69-50 lead with 8:48 remaining.

Chapman tried to battle back by playing SCC’s game, but the Panthers made only two of 14 three-point attempts.

The Vanguards controlled the tempo with a defense that denied every pass and contested every shot. Chapman committed 18 turnovers, many unforced.

Rog Middleton scored 19 points for the Panthers but fouled out with 6:36 remaining. Alan Schlines also scored 19.

Keith Randolph a 6-foot-4 post player, scored 20 points for SCC.

In the women’s championship game:

St. Thomas (Minn.) 69, Grand Canyon 45--Tournament MVP Laurie Trow had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Tommies (2-0), the defending NCAA Division III champions.

In the men’s third-place game:

UC Davis 90, Pacific Christian 38--Peter Vanos scored 19 points and Richard Saunders 18 for UC Davis (1-1). Phil Garcia scored eight points for PCC (2-4).

In the women’s third-place game:

Chapman 74, CS Hayward 53--Tammie McQuain had 18 points and Linda Kirby 17 for Chapman (1-1).

In nonconference women’s basketball:

Loyola Marymount 70, Southern California College 38--Joelle Longobardi had 28 points for Loyola in the season opener for both teams at SCC.

In Big West Conference water polo:

UC Irvine 8, UC Santa Barbara 4--Steve Gill scored four goals as the fourth-ranked Anteaters (20-7, 8-2 in conference) won their regular-season finale at Santa Barbara.

In Big West Conference women’s volleyball:

Cal State Fullerton 3, New Mexico State 0--Sophomore Becky Howlett had 17 kills for host Fullerton (9-27, 4-14), giving her a school record 648 for the season. Howlett broke her own record of 633, set last season. She has 20 or more kills in 28 career matches, fourth on the NCAA list.

Cal State Long Beach 3, UC Irvine 0--Scotleen Risley had 11 kills as the Anteaters (10-17, 4-14) concluded their season with a loss to the second-ranked 49ers (29-1, 17-1) at Long Beach.