Box Score HONOLULU – The Chaminade women's basketball team faced its toughest challenge of the season, facing nationally-ranked Gannon University on Thanksgiving Day. The results were mixed in an 88-55 loss in the first day of the O'ahu Classic at McKinley High School Gym.
On one hand, the Silverswords (0-3) continued to struggle with putting consistent stretches, struggling in both the opening and closing stages of the game. On the other hand, the Swords did not back down in the middle, going nearly toe-to-toe with the Knights (5-0), ranked No. 2 in the latest USA Today Coaches Division II poll.
Freshman
Carissa McBride led the Silverswords with a season-best 12 points on the afternoon.
Kennedi Akana followed with eight points while
Glacen Florita and
Lilia Maio each had six. Maio also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Doriyon Glass led the Knights with 13 points.
Just three minutes into the contest, Gannon scored the game's first 12 points and was on the verge of leaving shoe imprints on the backs of the Silverswords. Instead, the Swords found a rhythm on an 11-6 run with baskets by
Hanna Curtius, Akana and Maio, cutting the deficit to 18-11 with 12:07 left in the first half.
The Knights built the lead back to double-digits on an 18-8 run during a 7-minute span midway through the half. But Chaminade would not allow Gannon to pull away, keeping the deficit to no more than 17 in the first half, as CUH trailed 42-28 at halftime.
Maio's jumper to open the second half brought the Silverswords to within 12 at 42-30, but the Knights managed to build the lead back to 18 at 53-35 on a Nettie Blake layup. Consecutive layups by Akana brought the Swords to within 53-39 five minutes into the second half. But with 12:25 left in the game and Chaminade down 55-39, Akana picked up her fifth personal foul. Without their 6-foot-1 center patrolling the lane, Gannon took advantage, outscoring the Swords, 33-16, the rest of the way.
"Great competitiveness in this game against the second-ranked team in the nation," Chaminade head coach
Bobby Keanini said. "We had a few opportunities, but we missed some open looks from 3 and from that point, we struggled when Kennedi fouled out."
The Swords shot 40 percent for the game (20-of-50), but hit 11-of-26 (42 percent) in the second half. Chaminade was outrebounded, 45-38, and committed 30 turnovers, but the Swords also forced 21 Gannon giveaways.
"A great satisfying game overall to look at the possibilities we have this season," Keanini said.
Chaminade concludes the O'ahu Classic on Friday at 5 p.m. against Oklahoma Christian at McKinley High School Gym. Live audio will be available at goswords.com.
