Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

ORANGE, Calif. – The Whittier College men's basketball team shot 49 percent from the field but it wasn't enough as Chapman extended its win streak to eight games with a 78-65 win over the Poets on Tuesday evening.

Three players reached double figures for the purple and gold led by Greg Preer's team-high 16 points. He added six rebounds and four steals in 34 minutes of action.

Nathan Easterman poured in 14 points and Brandon Thomas scored 11 in the loss.

Whittier and the Panthers traded the lead over the first five minutes of the game but a three-pointer by Brandon Lin at 15:20 gave Chapman a 7-6 lead; a lead it would not relinquish. The Panthers led by as many 15 points and took a 13-point lead into the intermission after both teams went scoreless over the final 3:30 of the first half.

The second half lead for Chapman never dipped into single digits and the teams played an even 41-41 second 20 minutes en route to the final score.

Whittier's 49 percent shooting effort for the evening was enough to win the game but the Panthers answered by shooting 55 percent from the floor. Chapman held a minimal 31-25 advantage on the glass and forced 19 Poet turnovers.

The Poets' defensive pressure saw the Panthers turn the ball over 20 times.

Whittier will take the remainder of the calendar year off before returning to action on January 3 and 4 in the Annual Purple & Gold Poet Classic.