COLLEGE BASKETBALL / ORANGE COUNTY ROUNDUP : This Time, Chapman’s Late Comeback Comes Up Short

UC San Diego, burned by a furious Chapman rally once this season, gave the Panthers plenty of chances to pull it out Friday.

Despite a strong charge, Chapman couldn’t capitalize, losing the nonconference men’s basketball game, 102-95, at Hutton Center.

Last month, Chapman opened UC San Diego’s campus arena with a 109-102 victory in triple overtime. The Panthers rallied from a seven-point deficit in the second overtime, finally tying it on a three-pointer by Ramin Bastani.

This time, San Diego (10-11) put Chapman (13-7) into a deeper hole, extending a 13-point halftime lead to 19 points with 8 minutes 38 seconds left.

San Diego, under first-year Coach Greg Lanthier, runs a fast-paced offense similar to Loyola Marymount in Paul Westhead’s days. “He’s not as radical as Westhead was at Loyola, but he’s close,” Chapman Coach Mike Bokosky said.

San Diego responded to Chapman charges by putting up three-pointers. All nine Tritons who played each attempted at least one three; the six who succeeded combined for 13.

Chapman did its best to hang close, but was having a hard time breaking through. “We never really made a run,” Bokosky said.

Instead, they crawled back. San Diego’s 19-point lead became 14 when Adam Dzierzynski, who had 16 points and 10 assists, made a steal and a layup at 5:53. Toby Curto, who scored a team-high 19, including 13 in the second half, made two of three free throws after being fouled on a three-pointer to cut the lead to 10 with 4:38.

Bastani got the Panthers within six, 95-89, with a three-pointer with 1:37 left, but they got no closer.

San Diego, which was paced by Matt Minehan (19 points), Kahlil Allen (18), Matt Aune (17) and Todd Benatar (17), missed the front end of consecutive one-and-one situations with slightly more than a minute left, but each time got the rebound.

After two free throws by Mark Sebek put the Tritons ahead, 97-89, they missed three of their next four foul shots.

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In Big West Conference women’s basketball:

New Mexico State 88, Cal State Fullerton 64--Anita Maxwell had 29 points and 11 rebounds for host New Mexico State (12-6, 7-3), which shot 53% from the field and outscored Cal State Fullerton, 45-29, in the second half. The Titans (7-10, 4-6) were led by Shayla Bradshaw with 24 points and Koko Lahanas, who had 22 points and eight rebounds. The Aggies outrebounded the Titans, 44-28.