ORANGE, Calif. – A furious back-and-forth pace led to a season-high output and a comeback win for the Chapman University women's basketball team. The Panthers (6-5, 1-1 SCIAC) extended their winning streak to four games with a 92-85 victory over the Whittier Poets on Saturday.

Senior Natalia Ebrahimian's double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds led the Panthers' comeback effort while junior Megan Charles added in 24 points of her own on 10-of-17 shooting. Senior Lauren Sato pitched in 15 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists and three steals in a solid all around effort.

The pace at which both teams changed ends of the floor can only be rivaled by a tennis match. Both Chapman and Whittier (3-7, 0-1 SCIAC) used a full-court, high-pressure defense that forced 41 combined turnovers. Whittier took the upper hand early on, forcing 13 turnovers in the first quarter and allowing Chapman to get up just 11 shots.

The pressure defense from the Poets forced 13 Chapman turnovers in the first quarter and Priscilla Rodriguez took full advantage with 13 of her 22 points in the opening period. The Poets led 30-17 at the end of the first. Chapman chipped its way back in the games and closed the gap with a 29-point second quarter. Whittier still led 53-46 at halftime.

The Panthers quickly erased it halftime deficit, scoring the first eight points of the third quarter to take a 54-53 lead on Sato's jumper with 6:01 to go in the third. The lead changed hands a few times before Chapman used a 5-0 run to turn a deficit into a 71-68 lead heading into the final quarter.

A 12-4 run over the first four-plus minutes of the fourth quarter gave Chapman a double digit lead that proved too great to overcome. Whittier came with four late in the game but Panther runs kept the lead for the remainder.

Charles scored 10 points in the third and five more in the fourth to help CU overcome its slow start. The Panthers also forced 11 second half turnovers wile only turning the ball over six times in the final 20 minutes.

Chapman is back at the Hutton Sports Center on Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff against Pomona-Pitzer.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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