Two undefeated units clashed on the court Nov. 15, but only one would leave that way. With the Morton Panthers on the prowl, College of DuPage’s Chaparrals were raring to run against the 4-0 Panthers invading their home court territory. Even with Morton College presenting a team a division higher than the Chaps, they dauntlessly engaged them on the court to defend their own 3-0 record.

From the onset, the Panthers asserted their dominance, strutting out to an early 27-19 lead midway through the second quarter and leaving the Chaps grasping for a recovery. But the Panthers would take no quarter. The Panthers looked to demoralize and shut out the Chaps as they powered through a 15-0 run to close out the game’s first half, trapping the Chaps into a 42-19 deficit.

The Chaps regrouped in the locker room. Back on the floor during the 3rd quarter, they forced the Panthers to battle to keep their lead. Gritty defensive play forced a number of jump balls, sloppy drives and air balls from the Panthers. The frustration of the Panthers mounted and the Chaps turned that aggression against them as COD player No. 30, Erin Nelson, drew two charges in an effort to reverse the momentum of the game.

Despite the tenacious defensive effort and generating several scoring opportunities, the Chaps couldn’t click on the offensive end of the floor or convert on free throws at the line. They were unable to cut the lead below a 20-point deficit, leaving the score 35-57 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

With the Chap’s counterattack exhausted, the Panther’s seized their opportunity in the fourth and blew the game open. They found their rhythm again offensively, battering and capitalizing on the breathless Chaps to close out the game in a commanding 43-86 victory.
Denise McCance, head coach for College of DuPage women’s basketball team, commented on the teams struggled after the game’s conclusion,

“We hustled and had stops, but we didn’t shoot well. Even our free throw percentage was pretty poor. We had opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of. We got tired at the end, and we stopped contesting on fast breaks and at the three-point line,” McCance said. “We need execution and finishing. We had open looks; we just didn’t put it in. This is a good team. When you have an opportunity to take a shot you can’t miss it.”

College of DuPage Women’s Basketball Team’s next home match will be Nov. 29th against Waubonsee at 5 p.m.