Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

REDLANDS, Calif. – Greg Preer and Paul Davis combined for 35 points but it was enough as Chapman knocked the Whittier men's basketball team into the third place game of the Fulmer Tournament on Friday evening.

The Panthers (5-1) turned a three-point halftime lead into as much as a 19-point second frame lead before holding on for the 78-62 win.

Whittier (3-2) shot just 39 percent from the field in the first half but only trailed 36-33 at the break.

The Poets scored the first two points of the game on a pair of free throws from Nathan Easterman and tied the score at 5-5 after Preer completed the old-fashion three-point play but Chapman went on a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to open up a 10-point lead.

The Panthers' lead reached 13 points at the 9:06 mark before the purple and gold climbed back into the game with a 19-9 run to close the half.

Willie Mebane proved a spark to open the second half as his steal and finish gave Whittier a 37-36 lead; the team's first lead since Davis made good on a three-pointer with 2:03 left before the half.

However, the lead was short lived. The Poets went on a dry spell that saw the Panthers outscore them 20-2 over an eight minute stretch.

Whittier trimmed the lead to 11 points after a pair of makes from the charity stripe from Preer but that was as close as it would get.

Mebane finished with just four points but had five assists. Brandon Thomas added nine points while Easterman finished with five.

Damon Perry was held scoreless and only managed three rebounds. Mebane pulled down a team-high six boards in the loss.

Whittier will face the loser of the UC Santa Cruz-Redlands game at 5:30 pm tomorrow evening.