Chapman Happy to Be Home Again

The Chapman men’s basketball team will play its first home game since Dec. 17 on Friday against UC Santa Cruz. It will be the first of four consecutive home games.

“There was a TV show I remember from the late ‘60s or early ‘70s called the ‘Happy Wanderers,’ ” Chapman Coach Mike Bokosky said. “They were retired people who spent all their time traveling around and seeing the world. That’s what I feel like.”

The Panthers, however, haven’t come home too happy. After starting the season 9-1, their best start in 15 years, they have lost seven of nine--all on the road.

Now Chapman (11-8, after Wednesday’s 81-50 victory at La Sierra) must win its final six games to maintain its chance for an NCAA Division III playoff spot.

Bokosky said he hasn’t been discouraged because his team put itself into position to win all but two of the games. He noted that the Panthers were fortunate to get some narrow victories early this season. “I guess it all balances out,” he said. “It’s a yin-and-yang thing.”

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Honor: Chapman guard Pete Sverkos was named the Division III West Region player of the week by Columbus Multimedia. Sverkos, a 6-foot-3 senior, averaged 14 points in games against UC San Diego, Chaminade and Brigham Young Hawaii.

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Women’s basketball: Chapman has another key game Friday when it hosts Cal Lutheran. The Panthers, 12-5 and battling for an at-large playoff spot, must continue beating its Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference competition. The first Division III regional polls will be released next week.

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Women’s swimming: Chapman will have its final dual meet of the season Friday against Redlands at Orange High. The Panthers have four swimmers: sophomore Megen Pelk and freshmen Eileen Guerrero, Julie Hamilton and Jacque Robertson.

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Hall of Fame: Chapman will admit two--Leone Patterson, a two-time All-American in men’s basketball, and Don Spare, an All-American baseball shortstop, into its athletic hall of fame Wednesday. John Hall, former Times and Register columnist, will be the featured speaker at the induction dinner at the Doubletree Hotel in Orange. For more information, call (714) 997-6691.