COLLEGE DIVISION NOTEBOOK / MARTIN BECK : Broadnax Is Chapman’s Mr. Outside

Four games into Chapman University’s conference season, it’s clear the Panthers will usually be overmatched inside, so their outside shooting will take on added importance.

Vern Broadnax, a senior guard, has taken up the challenge. Broadnax, a Tustin High graduate who transferred from Rancho Santiago College before last season, has made 70% of his three-point shots (14 of 20) in California Collegiate Athletic Assn. play.

Broadnax, who is averaging 10.2 points this season, scored 22 in the Panthers’ 89-83 loss to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Friday to improve his conference scoring average to 17.3 points.

“Vern has played well since we’ve started in the CCAA,” Chapman Coach Mike Bokosky said. “Besides his improved shooting, we’re happy with his decision-making, when he shoots and when he gets the ball to his teammates.”

The Panthers (4-12, 1-3 in the CCAA), who play at UC Riverside (12-4, 3-1) tonight and play host to Cal State San Bernardino (8-7, 1-3) Saturday, aren’t at full strength.

Brian Kenney is hampered by injuries to a foot and knee. Mike Vaughn was cut above the eye when he collided with reserve Tim Black in practice Wednesday and received eight stitches. Black was also cut, but both players are expected to be available tonight.

Glen Greene, a guard who started the first 12 games of the season, remains academically ineligible after failing to reach the college’s minimum grade-point requirement of 2.25 last semester. Greene, however, is making up class work in two classes and could be eligible by the Panthers’ game against Cal State Dominguez Hills Jan. 30, Bokosky said.

Knock, knock, knockin’ . . . Despite its recent success, the Christ College Irvine women’s basketball team has never broken into the NAIA national Top 25. That could soon change.

In the latest NAIA Division I poll, the Eagles are at the top of the list of others receiving votes, unofficially the 26th ranked team in the nation. The Eagles, who were 27th at one point last season, show no sign of slowing down.

CCI Coach Kent Schlichtemeier said a national ranking would help if his team wins its second consecutive district title.

“It’s only important in the sense that you get a better seed if you are fortunate enough to make the national tournament,” Schlichtemeier said.

Last season, the Eagles advanced to the tournament for the first time in school history, only to face Wayland (Tex.) Baptist, the fourth-seeded team, which beat the Eagles, 82-62, and reached the title game.

This season, CCI (15-4, 3-0 in the Golden State Athletic Conference) has won six consecutive games, including a 76-72 overtime victory over Point Loma Nazarene Saturday--the Eagles’ first game at Point Loma.

CCI will complete its first round of conference play with a game at Cal Baptist (2-12, 1-2) Saturday and by playing host to Azusa Pacific (11-4, 3-1) Tuesday.

The CCI men’s team is riding a more modest winning streak--the Eagles have won their last three games, including two in conference.

The Eagles (9-7, 2-0) play host to Dominican (5-11) in a nonconference game tonight before a conference game at Cal Baptist (6-11, 1-2) Saturday.

D’Andre Brown, a 6-foot-6 forward, is averaging 19.1 points and nine rebounds, and 6-4 forward Brian Hazelwood is averaging 11 points and leads District 3 in shooting percentage at 68.8% (53 of 77).

Agustin Heredia, the team’s second-leading scorer at 13.9, scored 23 in the Eagles’ victory over Christian Heritage. Heredia, a junior transfer from Orange Coast who played at Estancia High, made eight of 10 free throws in the game, lowering his free-throw shooting percentage from 86.4 to 85.5.

The Southern California College men’s basketball team continued its success against perennial District 3 power Westmont Tuesday with an 80-74 victory in Santa Barbara.

The Vanguards (11-7, 2-1 in the GSAC) have won at Westmont the last three seasons and have won eight of the last 10 game against the Warriors.

SCC Coach Bill Reynolds said he wasn’t aware of this until told after Tuesday’s game by a reporter from Santa Barbara.

“I said, ‘Send me a copy of the paper so I can read about that,’ ” Reynolds said. “We like to read about things we don’t know ourselves.”

The Vanguards continue to be led by Mike West and Scott Campbell, who are each averaging 16.9 points. West, a 6-3 forward, leads the district in rebounding with a 10.5 average. Point guard Danin Bryant leads the district in assists, averaging 7.4.