ORANGE, Calif. – Cal Lutheran women's basketball had its eight-game win streak snapped by Chapman, falling to Panthers 69-60 in the Regals' first loss in 44 days.
HOW IT HAPPENED
A slow start for the Regals (11-4) resulted in the Panthers (7-10) building a substantial lead by halftime at 31-18. Struggles from the field were evident as the Regals converted just 28.8% of their shots.
The turning point came in the fourth quarter. After a difficult first half, the Regals began to find their rhythm. They outscored Chapman 19-13 in the final period, with key baskets by Alline Ballard and Kaiya Mack cutting the deficit to just five points with minutes to spare. However, Chapman responded with critical free throws and managed to hold off the Regals, handing them their first loss since Dec. 7.
THE NUMBERS
- Ballard: 13 PTS, 11 REB
- Janna Holley: 12 PTS, 8-8 FT
- Mack: 9 PTS, 3 REB
- Aliya DiMuro: 9 PTS, 6 REB
FROM HEAD COACH KELLI DIMURO
"We struggled to find our rhythm offensively. It was one of those nights where the shots just wouldn't fall and it made it hard to keep pace with them. On top of that, our defensive intensity and team chemistry weren't where they needed to be and that allowed them to capitalize on key opportunities. We need to refocus on the next two conference games coming up this week."
UP NEXT
The Regals host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at Gilbert Arena.
