Chapman Women Get Some Key Performances

Chapman women’s basketball Coach Mary Hegarty witnessed a breakthrough Saturday. Chapman defeated La Verne, 84-70, and moved above .500 this far into the season for the first time since 1989-90.

But it isn’t only the fact that the Panthers won their third consecutive game to improve to 4-3 that has Hegarty smiling--it’s the way they won it. Before Saturday, Chapman hadn’t won by more than eight points.

“It’s not like we will press a team if we are up by 30,” Hegarty said. “But we need to learn how to have a killer instinct, to put teams away, and I think this is a step in the right direction.”

Earlier this season, Hegarty wasn’t sure she was leading the Panthers down the right path. After beating Redlands in the season opener, Chapman lost three in a row.

“When we were 1-3, I was having a really difficult time,” Hegarty said. She wondered whether her emphasis on pressure defense and fast-breaking offense was right for this team.

Her assistants assured her they were on the right track, and so far they have been proved correct. Chapman broke the losing streak by beating Occidental, 69-67, on Melissa Starr’s short shot in the final seconds, and hasn’t lost since.

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Melody Earle had another big game against La Verne, scoring a season-high 27 points. Earle, a 5-foot-8 senior guard from Estancia, also played an important role on defense.

Her main responsibility was to guard Leslie Rogers, who came into the game with a 25-point average.

“Right before the game, Melody said, ‘I don’t care if I don’t score a point, but she’s not going to get her average,’ ” Hegarty said.

Rogers scored 21 points, making only seven of 23 shots.

Earle, who also had five assists, is averaging 17.3 points and nearly six assists.

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Chapman, in the middle of an 11-day break, next plays Elmira, a Division III school in western New York, in the first round of the UC San Diego tournament Wednesday. Chapman is depending on superior conditioning to stay ahead of the competition and Hegarty hopes the break won’t slow her players.

“They’ve been warned,” Hegarty said. “If it’s obvious that we didn’t work out over the break, we’ve got a little running to do after practice, so hopefully, that will keep us going.”

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Gentle giants: After post players on the Chapman men’s basketball team had a weak shooting performance in the first half of Monday’s game against Occidental, they got some advice from assistant coach Steve Trumbo.

“Trumbo told them,” Chapman Coach Mike Bokosky said, “ ‘You guys are stronger in the post than they are. Go up strong and don’t hurry the post move.’

“That’s how he made his living for 12 years.”

Trumbo, 6-9 and a former El Modena and Brigham Young player, played professionally in Spain for 12 years. He helped teams to two European Championships and is the all-time leading rebounder in the Spanish League.

Center Stefan Mumaw, who was two for 10 from the field in the first half, responded well. He made four of five shots in the second half to finish with 18 points, and the Panthers won, 86-76.

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The Chapman men next play Idaho State on Wednesday in the Utah State tournament in Logan. Bokosky got the spot in the tournament--the Panthers will play Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) Thursday--because of his friendship with Utah State Coach Larry Eustachy, whom he played against in community college.

“It will be a good experience for our kids,” Bokosky said. “All of our kids dream of playing Division I and now they will get a chance to see what it’s like at ‘The Show.’ It’s a chance to see what the Division I level is all about--the Division I bulk, the Division I height--seeing it on TV doesn’t do it justice.”

Notes

The Concordia men’s basketball team, off to its best start in school history at 8-1, will play host to Malone, an NAIA Division II school from Canyon, Ohio, Wednesday. The Eagles then play host to Concordia (Minn.) and Concordia (Ore.) on Friday and Saturday. The Eagle women’s team will play host to Occidental Wednesday before the men’s game. . . . The Southern California College men’s team will play host to Graceland (Iowa) Wednesday and then Concordia (Ore.) on Friday and Concordia (Minn.) on Saturday. . . . Four Chapman football players received post-season honors from Don Hansen’s Weekly Football Gazette. Kicker Bill Hamlin and offensive lineman Kelly Akridge were named second-team All-West Region and defensive lineman Robert Ernster and linebacker Kenison Poching were third-team selections. The Panthers finished 10th in NCAA Division III in scoring average (37.8 a game), 11th in punt return average (12.1 yards) and 13th in kickoff return average (22.7). . . . Chapman soccer players also received honors. Craig Bennett, Erick Hurtarte and Armando Orizaba were first-team All-Far West Region selections for the men’s team and Cindy LeClair was a third-team all-region selection for the women.