CMS Women's Basketball Pulls Away in Fourth for Big Road Win over Chapman

ORANGE, Calif. – With the score tied 42-42 at the end of the third quarter, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's basketball team dominated the fourth to take a big 62-49 road win over Chapman on Wednesday night at the Hutton Sports Center.

With the win, CMS improves to 5-3 overall on the year and goes to 3-0 in SCIAC play, with another month until they resume conference action, while Chapman falls to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in league play.

The Athenas had almost perfect balance offensively, as their top six scorers all finished between eight and 11 points, led by 11 apiece from Kayla Ishibashi and Ruva Kiara. Defensively, they held Chapman to just 1-11 shooting from the floor in the pivotal fourth quarter, to go along with three turnovers.

Chapman led 42-40 late in the third, but Ariana Dalia tied the score up at 42-42 with a basket with seven seconds left, and Sadie Heckman put the Athenas ahead for good on the first possession of the fourth. After Chapman split two at the line, Dalia hit two foul shots, and Heckman scored on the fast break off a no-look pass from Mary Markaryan.

Ruva Kiara then had a big three-point play with 3:32 left to push the lead to 54-47. Ava Grey then hit a jump shot in the corner to stretch the lead to nine with 2:20 to go, and Markaryan followed up her own missed shot to give CMS a double-digit lead. Carter then hit a dagger three in the corner to seal it with just over a minute left.

CMS was down 23-10 early in the second quarter, after Chapman tacked a three-point play on to its 10-point lead after the first. However, the Athenas then went on a 17-2 run to take the lead. Dalia started the spurt with a putback, and Ava Grey then had a blocked shot at one end and a three-pointer at the other to close the lead to 23-15. Ishibashi cut the lead to six, before Chapman answered to temporarily stop the run.

However, the Athenas then scored the next 10 points to take the lead. Ishibashi scored to start the spurt, and then fed Ruva Kiara for a three-pointer. Kiara followed with a three-point play to tie it, and Ishibashi had a go-ahead lay-up. Chapman responded to go back in front, but Markaryan closed out the half with a basket to give the Athenas a 30-29 lead at the break.

Markaryan had nine points and nine rebounds, and Dalia had eight rebounds and nine rebounds for CMS, as both just missed double-doubles, as did Kiara, who finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. The Athenas finished with a 46-34 edge in the rebounding department. Carter also had nine points on 3-4 shooting from three. 

CMS will be back in action after a 10-day break for final exams, when it takes on Lewis & Clark on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 3 p.m.