HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's basketball gave their home fans their monies worth – and more – as the Silverswords outlasted BYU-Hawai'i, 93-82, in double overtime Thursday at McCabe Gym.
The 'Swords got a 22-point outburst in the second OT session, which is the first double-overtime game in program history. It's also the first time ever a CUH women's basketball team eclipsed the 90-point barrier.
Junior forward
Kennedi Akana tallied her first career double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds while sophomore forward
Lilia Maio also got into the act with 18 points and 12 boards, her first of the season. It's the first time in program history the team recorded two double-doubles in the same game.
More importantly for the Silverswords, the win improved them to 5-12 overall and 5-8 in the Pacific West Conference, putting them only 2 ½ games behind Academy of Art for the sixth and final spot in next month's PacWest Tournament in Irvine, Calif.
The Seasiders dropped their third straight, falling to 12-8 and 9-5 in the conference, despite a 33-point, 7-rebound, 6-steal night from Brydgette Tatupu-Leopoldo.
The 'Swords also got significant contributions from
Katie Buskey, who tied season-highs with 17 points and eight rebounds,
Glacen Florita (13 points) and
Sabrina Angle (10 points).
The Silverswords led throughout the first half, holding BYUH to only 27 percent shooting from the floor while making half their shots in the process (12-of-24), taking a 36-22 advantage at the break.
The 'Swords lead swelled to as many as 17 points early in the second half as Buskey's 3-pointer gave Chaminade a 43-26 just 90 seconds in.
Tatupu-Leopoldo then put the team on her shoulders, scoring 10 points during an 18-3 Seasiders run over the next six minutes as they closed to 46-44. Chaminade managed to stave off BYUH until the 4:34 mark when Whitney Fieldsted's bucket gave the visitors its first lead of the game at 59-58. Then with the Seasiders leading 63-61 with 43 seconds left and trying to work time off the clock, Buskey stripped Tatupu-Leopoldo of the ball. Florita then grabbed it and coasted in for the tying layup while being fouled. Florita missed the potential go-ahead free throw, helping to send the game into overtime, tied at 63.
In the overtime session, Chaminade held a 71-67 lead with 1:16 left, but BYUH got back-to-back baskets to tie it at 71. The 'Swords had a chance to win it on the final possession as
Shana Kawakami weaved her way through traffic and found Akana on the right block. Akana, whose jumper with two seconds left beat Hawai'i-Hilo last Saturday, had a chance to do it again, but her jumper rimmed out right before the buzzer, sending the contest into another five-minute extra period.
It was all 'Swords from there. Buskey greeted the second OT session with a triple, followed by a Maio putback. Tatupu-Leopoldo scored the Seasiders' next five points to help inch BYUH closer to 79-76 with 2:50 left. But Akana jumpstarted the game's turning point, hitting two layups while Buskey hit four three throws in a decisive 8-0 run to help put the game away. Chaminade also helped itself by hitting 13 of its 16 free throws in the second overtime period.
When the dust cleared, the Silverswords made 30 free throws, tied for third-most in program history and the most since February 9, 2008 while their 42 attempts from the charity stripe is third-most. The 'Swords also survived 26 turnovers, but hit 28-of-48 shots from the field. Their 58.3 shooting percentage is a single game team record.
The Silverswords face intercity rival, Hawai'i Pacific, on Sunday at the Blaisdell Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
