Chapman Can’t Find Frequency for Points, Falls to Bakersfield

ORANGE — It seems there’s a little known California Collegiate Athletic Assn. rule that calls for a radio timeout on the first dead ball 10 minutes into each half.

Apparently Cal State Bakersfield, the No. 1-ranked team in NCAA Division II, is the only CCAA member that adheres to it.

Although the radio timeouts didn’t play a role in Bakersfield’s 74-56 victory over Chapman Friday night at the Hutton Center, Panther Coach Mike Bokosky might have found a new gimmick.

“They (Bakersfield coaches) said it’s a conference rule, but none of the teams in the conference except Bakersfield have radio,” Bokosky said. “I’d never heard that rule before, but I think from now on I’ll call radio timeouts to save ours.”

Seldom-used rules aside, Bakersfield displayed enough talent and execution in spurts in the second half to stay comfortably ahead after a sluggish start. The Roadrunners (22-0, 10-0) trailed, 13-8, seven minutes into the first half.

After Bakersfield Coach Pat Douglass called a non-radio timeout at that point, the Roadrunners went on an 11-0 run to take the lead for good at 19-13. Chapman stayed within seven points of the lead until Tyrone Pollard hit a three-pointer with two seconds left in the half to give Bakersfield a 33-23 halftime lead.

Despite Bakersfield’s more consistent showing in the second half, the Panthers (5-17, 2-8) had their moments. Following the second-half radio timeout, Chapman went on a 16-2 run that cut a 62-33 lead to 64-49 with 4 minutes, 40 seconds left.