Kings County Times

 Julia Strand scored 31 points to lift the Chapman University women's basketball team to a 69-64 win over No. 6 Amherst. The loss was just the second of the season for Amherst with the Mammoths' only other loss coming in double overtime.

Along with her 31 points, Strand also grabbed 13 rebounds and distributed three assists to lead the Panthers to the upset victory. She shot 56.5 percent for the game and was 5-for-8 from the line.

Neither team led by more than seven points throughout a game that featured 11 lead changes and eight ties. Chapman forced 12 Amherst turnovers and committed a season-low six turnovers.

Over the first 10 minutes, the Panthers and Mammoths went back-and-forth. Strand scored just five in the opening quarter with Sammie Inana scoring four of her six points. Anna Tranum scored nine of her 11 points for Amherst in the first 10 minutes as both teams started hot from the floor. Amherst shot 61.5 percent to Chapman shooting 50 percent and sinking eight of 10 free throws to end the quarter tied 20-20.

Chapman took an early seven-point lead in the second quarter, starting the period on a 9-2 run over the first two and a half minutes. After chipping away, Kiro Barach put the Mammoths back on top 35-34 with just under three minutes to play in the half and Amherst carried a 40-38 lead into halftime.

Despite leading for the entirety of the third, Amherst never led by more than six points as Chapman refused to back down to the top-10 team and trailed by just one when the quarter ended at 52-51.

Strand had a solid 13 points and four rebounds at halftime but took over the second half with nine points in each quarter.

The teams battled throughout the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. Kylee Ishibashi tied the game for the first time in the second half with a free throw to make it 60-60. Zoe Zurasky earned another tip to the line moments later and drained both attempts for a 62-20 Chapman lead.

Maya Cwalina answered for Amherst with a perfect trip to the line to tie the game back up at 62-62. She had 18 points and three rebounds to lead Amherst and did not miss a shot until the waning moments of the game.

With just over two minutes to go, Strand drained a jumper from the top of the key to put the Panthers ahead 64-62 and forced a Cwalina miss on the other end. She ran the floor for a quick layup to make it 66-62 and then grabbed the rebound with just over one minute to play on the defensive end.

Katie Kubo and Julianna Campas each made a free throw to extend the lead to six. The Chapman defense locked down the Mammoths in the final stages of the game as Amherst went scoreless for three and a half minutes as Chapman took the lead and pulled away.

Campas ended the game with eight points and three assists while Kubo had seven points and four assists. Aidan Sherfey scored seven points in 10 minutes off the bench.

The Panthers wrapped up their non-conference schedule with the upset win and re-enter the SCIAC schedule on Wednesday against Pomona-Pitzer at 7 p.m.

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