HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's basketball team was back in action Monday, dropping a 97-67 decision to Dominican University of California at McCabe Gym.
The Silverswords saw their four-game winning streak at home snapped as they fell to 4-9 overall and 4-5 in the Pacific West Conference.
Courtney Kaupu, who earlier in the day was named the PacWest Defender of the Week, had a game-high 13 points in defeat.
Lilia Maio and
Sabrina Angle added 12 points each. Maio and
Shana Kawakami pulled down seven rebounds each while Angle drilled four 3-pointers giving her 101 in her career, becoming the first player in program history to hit the century mark in triples.
The Penguins (11-5, 7-2) were paced by Allyssa Weatherd who had a game-high 23 points. Sandra Ikeora had 22.
Kawakami had a team-high four assists and three steals for Chaminade.
The Penguins used an 18-3 run midway through the second quarter to turn a one-point lead to double-digits in which the Silverswords never recovered.
The 'Swords controlled the tempo against Dominican's press early on as buckets from
Kristle Henry, Kaupu and Maio gave them an early 6-2 lead. After Maio's basket put Chaminade ahead 8-6, the Penguins countered with a Weatherd bucket and a 3-pointer by Carly Holboke for their first lead of the game at 11-8 to help them hold a two-point lead after the first quarter.
After a
Carissa McBride free throw narrowed the game to 21-20 with a minute gone in the second quarter, Weatherd scored six straight to spark DUC's 18-3 run over the next six minutes with only
Taylor Babbitt's short jumper accounting for the Silverswords only basket during that span. The Penguins held a 51-27 lead at halftime.
The 'Swords showed more life to start the second half. Employing a 10-player platoon, Chaminade cut into DUC's lead as
Chantal Yadao, McBride, Maio and Henry sparked a 15-5 run. Yadao and Kaupu each knocked down triples and Kawakami's old-style three-point play narrowed the margin to 63-45 with 3:35 left in the third.
But it would be as close as they got as the Penguins rebuilt their lead to 20 points late in the third quarter.
Chaminade was held to a 36 percent clip from the floor, making 22 of its 61 attempts while Dominican was 35-for-69, shooting just under 51 percent. The Penguins held a 43-39 rebound advantage and was 21-of-37 from the foul line to the Silverswords' 15-of-23. The 'Swords also hit eight triples on the even to the Penguins' six.
But the difference proved to be the turnover battle as the 'Swords committed 29 giveaways which Dominican turned into 41 points. DUC also outscored Chaminade 50-22 inside the paint.
The Silverswords wrap up their home stand Saturday when they face Dixie State at McCabe Gym at 5 p.m. Live streaming audio coverage will be on GoSwords.com.
