ORANGE, Calif. — Men's basketball picked up a big SCIAC win, 78-67, over Whittier on Saturday to improve to 14-9 overall and 8-6 in conference play, good enough for the fourth and final playoff spot.

Senior McKelary Robertson, who was celebrated in the senior day festivities before the game, led the Panthers with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Jake Heberle added 18, and Blakeley Stoughton tallied 13 as those three Panthers were the only ones in double figures.

Chapman got off to an early 8-2 lead after a quick Heberle triple and a pair of buckets from Stoughton. Whittier would close the gap, but Chapman extended its lead to 41-29 prior to the break in part of Heberle's 14 first-half points.

The Poets amounted an 8-2 run of their own early in the second half but never led as Chapman closed out the 11-point win. 

Cruz Billings was a major part of the Panthers' offensive attack, collecting six of the Panthers' ten assists.

Tyler Dutto brought down a career-high ten rebounds and was a bucket short of a double-double. 

The two other seniors, Andrew Ingalls and Kyle Lewis, saw action, with Ingalls scoring seven and grabbing six boards. Lewis tallied one offensive rebound.

Chapman will return to action next Saturday, Feb. 17, with a chance to clinch a playoff berth, depending on what happens around the SCIAC before then, on the road at La Verne. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.