COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Chapman Rolls in Rout of CS San Bernardino

The day after one of Chapman’s most disappointing performances of the season, Coach Mike Bokosky rounded up his five senior players and gave them a choice.

“Basically, he said that this game was hit or miss,” senior Brian Kenney said Saturday. “We could either give up and throw it away or win a ball game and try to get into the tournament.

“And we chose the right way.”

Indeed, Friday’s mini-team meeting and a 4 1/2-hour practice afterward provided plenty of motivation for the Panthers, who routed Cal State San Bernardino, 92-76, in front of 483 Saturday in the Hutton Center.

It was the Panthers’ easiest victory since a season-opening 132-79 pounding of Pacific Christian, but this one was much more satisfying. Most importantly, it moved Chapman (5-13, 2-4 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.) into a fifth-place tie with Cal Poly Pomona.

And it soothed the wounds of Thursday’s 116-77 loss to UC Riverside.

Although, it’s unlikely that Chapman will be among the four teams to advance to the postseason conference tournament, at least the victory over the Coyotes (8-9, 1-5) makes it possible.

The Panthers picked the right opponent for their resurrection. San Bernardino, which lost three players because of academic ineligibility before conference play, is one of the few CCAA teams that doesn’t have a significant height advantage over Chapman. Chapman outrebounded the Coyotes, 53-43.

The Coyotes hung on early, however, and the score was tied 15-15 with 12 minutes 23 seconds left in the first half.

But with about 11 minutes left, Jeff Gardner made consecutive baskets to start a 12-0 Chapman run. The Panthers extended it to a 20-2 run and led, 38-20, with 4:24 left.

After leading, 47-28, at the half, Chapman extended its advantage to 30 points, 79-49, with 9:10 left before pulling most of the starters.

The seniors led the way for the Panthers, scoring all but 16 of their points and accounting for 38 of their 53 rebounds.

Gardner, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, had a team-high 25 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Mike Vaughn had 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Vern Broadnax had 16 points and six rebounds. Richie Bethune had 10 points and eight rebounds. Kenney had nine points and five rebounds.

San Bernardino’s Develle Walker scored 21 of his game-high 29 points in the second half.

In the Golden State Athletic Conference:

Fresno Pacific 75, Southern California College 73--Danin Bryant had 17 points and Scott Campbell had 16 points for Southern California College (11-8, 2-2).

In the Western Christian Athletic Conference:

Pacific Christian 75, Arizona Southwestern 54--Charles Ross had 26 points for visiting Pacific Christian (13-8, 7-0).