Chapman Men Fight Their Way Back, Beat Cal Poly Pomona, 107-88

With 1 minute 18 seconds remaining and Chapman leading by 10 points, Coach Mike Bokosky turned to assistant coach Terry Boesel and asked, “We can win this one, can’t we?”

The way things have been going for the Panthers this season, the question was far from moot, but Chapman gave Bokosky the answer he wanted, as the Panthers pulled away from Cal Poly Pomona to win the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. game, 107-88, Saturday night.

It was a rare CCAA victory for the Panthers (4-10, 1-1 in conference), who lost their last four conference games last season.

But if the first two CCAA games this season are any indication--the Panthers lost to Cal State Los Angeles Thursday, 84-83--Chapman might turn out to be competitive despite having only five scholarship players in one of the nation’s toughest NCAA Division II conferences.

The Panthers are usually overmatched in height and Saturday was no exception. Pomona’s starting front line stands 6-foot-7, 6-7 and 6-7; Chapman’s is 6-4, 6-3, 6-1. Even so, the Panthers, who were quick and more aggressive, outrebounded the Broncos, 42-27.

Pomona (7-7, 0-2) led, 56-47, at the half, as Chapman turned the ball over 17 times in the first half. But in the second half, Chapman had only five turnovers, shot 60% from the field and tightened its defense.

Pomona managed only two field goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half and made only seven of 26 (27%) in the half.

Chapman, which trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half, inched back, tying the score, 66-66, on a three-point shot by Aaron Cornell with 11 minutes 6 seconds left. Cornell scored a season-high 18 points.