SANTA CRUZ (12-21) – The Banana Slugs played their third game in as many days as they wrapped the UCSC December Classic at Kaiser Permanente Arena as they took on Chapman University. The Panthers never trailed as they won 80-61 over the Banana Slugs.

In their last game, UC Santa Cruz defeated Earlham College 62-52 yesterday in Santa Cruz while the Panthers lost 64-59 to Whitworth University in Santa Cruz.

In the first quarter, the two teams would trade baskets for the first half of the quarter. The Panthers would take the lead for good, at 11-10, on an Elizabeth Smith-Carpenter free throw with 4:36 left in the quarter. The Panthers would gain their largest lead of the quarter at six, at 16-10, on a Jaime Hum-Nishikado three pointer with 3:09 left in the quarter. The Panthers led 22-19 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Banana Slugs would tie the game at 22-22 on a Kim Tom three pointer with 9:35 left in the half. The Panthers would take the lead back at 24-22 on a Natalia Ebrahimian layup with 9:16 left in the half. The Panthers would expand their lead to double digits, at 36-26, on a pair of Katelyn Serizawa free throws with 2:03 left in the half. The Panthers would gain their largest lead of the half at eighteen, at 46-28, on a Hum-Nishikado three pointer with fifteen seconds left. The Panthers led 46-28 at the half.  

In the third quarter, the Banana Slugs would come as close as sixteen, at 46-30, on a Michelle Poole jumper with 9:39 left in the quarter. The Panthers would expand their lead during the remainder of the quarter. The Panthers would take their largest lead of the ballgame at twenty-eight, at 65-37, on a Serizawa layup with fifty-one seconds left. The Panthers led 65-37 at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Banana Slugs came as close as nineteen, at 67-48, on an Ashley Holmes three pointer with 7:14 left. The Panthers would gain their largest lead of the quarter at twenty-three, at 80-57, on a Hum-Nishikado three pointer with 1:48 left. The Panthers would win 80-61.   

Holmes had thirteen points to lead the Banana Slugs. Ebrahimian and Hum-Nishikado both had a game high seventeen points for the Panthers. Katie Young had eleven points in the loss. Megan Charles had thirteen points for the Panthers.

The Banana Slugs shot 41.7% (20-48) from the field, 41.2% (7-17) from the three-point line and was 53.8% (14-26) from the free throw line. The Panthers shot 41.1% (30-73) from the field, 37.5% (6-16) from the three-point line and 77.8% (14-18) from the foul line. UC Santa Cruz's defense forced sixteen Panther turnovers scoring fifteen points off the turnovers while the Panthers' defense forced twenty-five turnovers by UC Santa Cruz scoring thirty two points off the turnovers. Chapman outrebounded UC Santa Cruz 46-33 and the Panthers had nine more points off the bench (31-22) than did the Banana Slugs.

The Banana Slugs will play their next game on Sunday against California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. The contest against the Regals will be a part of the CLU Thousand Oaks Classic. Game time is set for 4 pm.