Chapman Beats Bowdoin

Although the Chapman men’s basketball team wasn’t at its best, it still had enough to top Bowdoin (Maine), 75-68, Wednesday at Chapman.

Anthony Brown had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead four scorers in double figures for Chapman (6-3), which scored the game’s first 11 points and held Bowdoin (5-2) without a field goal for the first 8 minutes 15 seconds.

“[Bowdoin] hadn’t played in three weeks,” Chapman Coach Mike Bokosky said. “It looked like they were playing in mud. They spotted us 11 points.”

It didn’t appear Chapman would need all of that cushion because the Panthers played well, although key reserve Scott Milne sat out because of a whiplash injury suffered in a car accident and 6-6 center Brian Hattingh lasted only one minute because he had the flu.

Gil Gonzales, who had 15 points, and freshman Tim Werdel, who had 14 points, paced Chapman’s perimeter attack. The pair combined to make seven of 13 from three-point range to help the Panthers lead by 12 at halftime and 17 early in the second half.

Still, Bowdoin closed to within two in the final 1 1/2 minutes before a rebound basket by Brown and three free throws by Nate Strange (17 points, eight rebounds) iced it.

Hugh Coleman (19 points) and Nathan Houser (12 points) each made three of their four three-pointers in the second half to spark the Polar Bear rally, but they could draw no closer than 70-68 when Wil Smith made two free throws with 1:20 remaining.

Each time Bowdoin made a move, Chapman answered.