ORANGE- The University of La Verne women's basketball squad suffered a 78-68 conference loss to Chapman University Thursday evening. 

The Leopards kept the score close over the first ten minutes, but an 11-0 run by the Panthers midway through the first period made the score 23-12 with 7:20 remaining. A pair of Chapman three-pointers in the final minute of the half made it 40-24 at the break.

The Panthers extended their lead to 20 in the opening minute of the second half before a Leopard rally. Led by a 17-point second-half from sophomore center Emily Myers, the Leos would chip away at the lead until the deficit was only five points with 4:41 remaining. But a flurry of Chapman points over the final minutes foiled the La Verne comeback attempt.

Senior guard/forward Lindsey Foster led four Leo players in double digits with 20 points along with eight rebounds. Myers just missed a double-double with her 17 points and nine boards while Junior point guard Tiffany Hicks and sophomore point guard Shannon Irwin chipped in 11 and 10 points respectively. Foster also led the squad with three assists.

The Leopards shot an even 40 percent (24-60) from the field and from three-point range (4-10). La Verne outrebounded the Panthers 39-38 but lost the turnover battle 21-12.

The Leos are scheduled to face SCIAC opponent Whittier Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Franz Athletic Court.