REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands men's basketball team (17-2, 9-1) came back from a double digit second half deficit to avoid a season sweep to Chapman University Wednesday evening inside Currier Gymnasium as they defeated the Panthers 76-66.

After conceding the opening three points of the game, Jhace Boston got into the paint before he found Chozen Amadi for a three and Jake Hlywiak beat Chapman's defense to the rim for a 7-5 advantage.

The lead was as large as four, 9-5, after Cam Brown found Lucas Gordon inside the paint, but the Panthers responded with a 12-0 run that gave them an eight-point lead, 17-9, with 11:48 on the clock.

A Redlands 10-0 run, though, swung the momentum back to their side as Gordon had four points and Amadi and Derek Sangster each made threes.

Nathan Mattera hit a three off a Donovan Ware assist with 6:39 to play, but that would be the second-to-last made field goal by the Bulldogs as Mattera's three in the final three minutes was the other basket as the Panthers took an eight-point lead into the half, 33-25.

Chapman made two field goals in the first 55 seconds of the second half to push their lead to their largest of the game at 11, 38-27.

Redlands' defense was the first to get on track as they held the Panthers scoreless for more than three minutes and got points from Hlywiak, Amadi, and Gordon to draw within four, 38-34.

Just inside of 10 minutes to play Hlywiak stole the ball from Chapman, and it resulted in a Boston jumper in the paint which gave them their first lead since the 6:39 mark of the first half when Mattera made a three.

Less than two minutes later the lead had ballooned to seven, 54-47, after Omar Ferguson converted on an and-one. Chapman, however, kept things close with a 6-0 run.

The game remained at a single possession until Amadi made a step back three with 2:13 on the cock which forced a timeout by the Panthers. The three made it a five-point game, 64-59, and the Bulldogs would make 7-of-8 free throws to seal the win.

Amadi had 21 points, a season-high, with 15 of those coming in the second half. Gordon played around second half foul trouble as he scored 13 points and added 17 rebounds and three assists. Hlywiak also had 15 second half points for a total of 17.

Redlands goes on the road this Saturday for a game at California Lutheran University (CLU) at 2 p.m.