A pressing defense paid off dividends for the Chaparrals on Friday afternoon against Harper College in their Region 4 D3 opener in Joliet.

The Chaps took control from the outset and fed off their 22 steals in a 66-45 win to set themselves up for a regional title Sunday afternoon against Joliet.

Alyssa Havard led the Chaps (14-15 overall) with 16 points and Sierra Gibson (15) and Mykah Berkompas (14) as the Chaps went wire-to-wire in the victory and swept the Hawks in three games this season.

"We made the most of our defense, playing a trap from the beginning,'' head coach Abigail Talley said. "We wanted to play our game from the beginning and it worked. Applying pressure got us concentrating on the game and we gained control and never gave it up.''

COD led 24-11 after the first quarter and built a 38-24 halftime lead.

Havard led in rebounds with 11 and Katlyn Allen scored seven points with 10 rebounds, eight steals, and five assists.

The Chaps split their regular season series against the title-game opponent Wolves, losing at home 79-61 on Jan. 10 before winning 61-46 on Jan. 26 in Joliet.

"We know it's going to take our best game of the year against Joliet,'' Talley said. "We want to play hard and smart.''

The Chaps are chasing their first regional title since 2008 when it went on to finish seventh at the NJCAA tournament.