When Dzierzynski Is Hot, So Is SCC

It’s no coincidence the Southern California College men’s basketball team surges when point guard Adam Dzierzynski is playing his best.

Dzierzynski has been a catalyst since he was the 1993 Sea View League player of the year at Santa Margarita. He started two years at Chapman, took a season off and is now terrorizing the Golden State Athletic Conference.

Tuesday, host Biola tried a box-and-one defense for much of the game; Dzierzynski still had 25 points and seven assists in the Vanguards’ 80-79 victory. Last week, Dzierzynski averaged 17 points, 6.5 rebounds and four assists in victories over Westmont and Azusa Pacific and was named conference player of the week.

SCC (19-7, 6-3) has won six consecutive conference games and moved into a tie for second place with Biola and Fresno Pacific.

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Women’s basketball: Chapman played its final home game of the regular season Wednesday, defeating Christian Heritage, 78-64. It was the Panthers’ seventh victory in a row and 14th in their last 16 games. Chapman, ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III West Region, remains in strong position for a playoff spot with games remaining at Redlands, Pacific Christian and UC San Diego.

Forward Stef McNamara was named the West Region player of the week by Columbus Multimedia. McNamara averaged 22 points and 13 rebounds in victories over Cal Lutheran and Occidental.

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Softball: Cal Baptist swept Chapman in a doubleheader Saturday, 10-1 and 8-7, avenging the Panthers’ season-opening sweep the previous week. The first game Saturday ended because of the mercy rule. It was the first time in Chapman co-Coach Lisle Lloyd’s memory that the Panthers were defeated because of the rule.

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Men’s basketball: Seven Chapman seniors will play their final home game at 7:30 tonight at the Hutton Center when the Panthers play UC San Diego. Guards Toby Curto, Pete Sverkos and Larry Nagata, forwards Aaron Aguilera, Greg Evans and Norm Coulter and center Mark Weitala will lead the Panthers (13-9) against the Tritons (15-6).