Middleton Sets Record, but Chapman Loses, 67-54

The way Cal State Dominguez Hills plays defense against Rog Middleton, even the three points he needed to become Chapman’s leading scorer didn’t seem paltry.

“I knew I only had to get three points,” Middleton said. “But I knew it was Dominguez Hills, so I knew they were going to be some tough points.”

Middleton had averaged only 12 points in nine games against Dominguez Hills. But Saturday night, Middleton was tougher than the Toros, scoring 17 points in 29 minutes to give him 1,899 points in his four-season Chapman career. The total broke the record of Bob Hamblin, who scored 1,884 from 1955-59.

Dominguez Hills (16-11, 8-6) won the game, 67-54, and with it third place in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. The Toros will play in their first CCAA tournament since the 1988-89 season, Friday with a first-round game against Cal State Bakersfield.

Chapman (7-19, 2-12) entered the game assured of its third consecutive last-place finish but tried to send off Middleton and the two other Chapman seniors--Frantz Reyes and Alan Schlines--with a victory.

The Panthers kept within reach during the first half and much of the second before Dominguez Hills put them away with a 7-0 run that gave the Toros a 59-47 lead with 3 minutes 15 seconds left.

Hamblin’s record fell when Middleton made an 16-foot jump shot from the corner of the key with 14:07 left in the first half.

After the shot fell, Middleton thrust his fist in the air and accepted a standing ovation and the congratulations of his teammates and coaches. He then shook hands with Hamblin at midcourt and got back to work.

Middleton also enters the Chapman record book for career field-goal percentage (65.6%), career scoring average (18.8 in 101 games). He also has the top four single-season shooting percentage highs, led by 67.6% this season.