ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University women's basketball team avenged a previous two-point loss to UC Santa Cruz with a 71-53 win on 'Senior Day' at the Hutton Center on Saturday afternoon. The win in their season finale marked the Panthers' 18th consecutive winning season at 13-12 overall.

Chapman ended a rocky second half of the season on a positive note with the win after previously losing six of their last seven games. One of those losses came on the road in Santa Cruz 58-56 in January. Meanwhile, the Banana Slugs had won six of their last seven games.

The lead changed hands three times in the first 10 minutes with UC Santa Cruz ahead by as many as five points early, until senior F Liz Hartnett put the Panthers up 20-18 at the 8:06 mark in the half. The Panthers never looked back and held the lead for the rest of the game, closing out the first half up 36-24. Hartnett – one of five seniors playing in their final game – scored 12 points and had five rebounds in the game.

Chapman's 12-point advantage only grew in the second half as it went on to lead by as much as 25. A three-pointer by sophomore G Kimi Takaoka capped a 9-0 Panther run with 13:25 to go, putting Chapman up 53-31. The Panthers shot 46.9 percent from the floor in the second half and out-rebounded the Banana Slugs 47-33 in the game.

Takaoka led the Panthers with 13 points and added four rebounds and two steals. Senior C Brandi Hood also scored 12 points and led the team with six rebounds. Senior F Stephanie Servin and senior F Ari Luna scored seven and six points respectively and combined for nine rebounds in their final game. Chapman's seniors, Hartnett, Hood, Servin, Luna, and F Kristina Arevalo, were all honored before the match.

Freshman F Sarah Mackey led Santa Cruz with 10 points and added four rebounds.