Chapman Hopes 20 Is Enough

The Chapman men’s basketball team completed its most successful season in 17 years when the Panthers defeated La Sierra, 80-61, Tuesday in Riverside.

The victory gave them a 20-5 record, the first time a Chapman team has reached the 20-victory mark since 1983-84. That year, the Panthers were 22-6.

More importantly, it might be enough to boost them into a postseason tournament for the first time since the 1978-79 season, when they were 15-11.

As an independent, Chapman must hope for an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

The Panthers never trailed Tuesday at La Sierra (11-14), but the Eagles caught them at 20-20 midway through the first half. A 12-2 run gave Chapman an advantage it never gave up.

Brian VonDerahe was nine of 16 from the floor, finishing with 24 points. Mike Gartner scored 12 points. Tim Werdel, one of the top three-point shooters in Division III, made three more Tuesday and finished with nine points. Brian George and Matt Poutsma had eight points each.

While shooting only 44%, Chapman forced 20 turnovers.

Justin Norman led La Sierra with 15 points.

After losing their final two games last year, the Panthers missed the playoffs with an 18-7 mark. In 1996-97, they missed at 16-9.

Coach Mike Bokosky hopes this season is different.

“We’ll try to push to build our case,” he said. “We should be considered, but we felt we should have been considered last year and four years ago.”

The Panthers must wait until March 1 when the selection committee meets to decide which teams will receive at-large bids.

Meanwhile, the coaching staff will send its weekly report to the Western Region representative. The report details the Panthers’ latest results, as well as their opponents’ records, providing the representative some idea regarding strength of schedule.

Bokosky also will state his team’s case to the local Division III representative at Whittier College.

“It’s really a subjective process,” Bokosky said. “There’s no set pattern. We’re at the mercy of the voters, who are made up of people from the conferences. It may be human nature to want to put teams from your own conference in the playoffs; I don’t know.

“But as an independent, you’re at the mercy of the conference voters.”