ORANGE, Calif. – Julia Strand and Mia Yamamoto combined for 40 points as the Chapman University women's basketball team opened the 2022-23 season with a decisive 78-45 win over visiting Macalester. The Panthers forced 25 turnovers to key the easy victory.

In her Chapman debut, Yamamoto came off the bench to score 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting. She gave the Panthers the lead at 6-5 near the midway point of the first quarter, converted the free throw for a three-point play, and the Panthers never trailed again.

Strand picked up right where she left off last season, scoring 23 points and grabbing seven rebounds in just 26 minutes played. She also had four steals. Katie Kubo led the Panthers with four assists and Kelly Park had three more assists off the bench.

On the defensive end, the Panthers forced Macalester into 25 turnovers while holding the Scots to 36.5 percent shooting, including just 2-for-12 behind the three-point arc. Chapman shot 53.2 percent on the night and scored 35 points off those 25 turnovers. Peyton Starks led the Scots with an 18-point and six rebound effort.

After falling behind 5-2 early on, Chapman shook off the early season rust and finished the last five-plus minutes of the first quarter on a 19-6 run to open up a double digit lead. The Panthers continued to pull away with a 42-25 lead by halftime and 30-point lead at the end of the third quarter. The Panthers outscored the Scot 25-12 in the third.

Chapman hits the road for the rest of November and will face a tough test against nationally-ranked Whitman in Redlands next Saturday at 5 p.m. The Panthers return home on Dec. 3 after a five-game road trip to take on Cal Lutheran at 2 p.m.