HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's basketball team made their home debut at McCabe Gym Thursday but fell to Concordia University Irvine 65-47.
Diamond Carter (Kapolei, Hawai'i/Olympic College) led the Silverswords with 12 points off the bench.
The game was also the 'Swords' Pacific West Conference opener, dropping them to 0-2 on the year and 0-1 in the conference.
The Eagles (3-2, 1-0 PacWest) got a pair of double-double efforts from Michaela Vanderklugt (18 points, 15 rebounds) and Sopavy Seng (11 points, 10 rebounds).
Freshman
Alana Nuuanu (Nanakuli, Hawai'i/Nanakuli) had seven points for Chaminade, also off the bench.
Destiny Castro (Talofofo, Guam/Notre Dame HS) led the 'Swords' starters with six points while pulling down a team-high six rebounds. She also had five steals.
Jakarra Waddell (Burbank, Calif./Long Beach City College) also had six points which tied her career-high set last season.
Kali Benavente (Tamuning, Guam/Academy of Our Lady of Guam) had a game-high five assists and also had three thefts.
Concordia scored the game's first 14 points before Castro's layup five minutes into the first quarter finally got the home team on the board.
Both teams encountered offensive difficulty in the second quarter with CUI scoring only eight points in the frame while CUH had six. The Eagles led 29-14 at halftime.
Chaminade finally got into an offensive rhythm in the second half. Carter scored six of the team's 18 third quarter points. Carter,
Skye Haraga (Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Punahou) and
Chloe Morrison (Edmonds, Wash./Archbishop Murphy) each buried 3-pointers to keep pace with the Eagles.
The momentum carried to the final quarter as Chaminade stayed point-for-point with Concordia in the final 10 minutes.
Despite the 18-point margin of difference, the Silverswords could take solace in that they were only outscored 36-33 in the second half.
The 'Swords shot 29 percent from the floor while CUI was at 40.3 Both squads struggled from downtown (4 of 21 for Concordia; 4 of 30 for Chaminade). The 'Swords were outrebounded 57-31 but did manage to force 19 CUI turnovers.
The Silverswords are back in action Saturday when they face defending PacWest champion California Baptist at McCabe Gym. The Lancers had their PacWest opener at Hawai'i Hilo postponed due to unsafe floor conditions due to high humidity which made the floor too slick.
CBU, which advanced to the Division II national semifinals last spring, is still adjusting to life without All-American Cassidy Milhalko and All-PacWest guard Kamille Diaz. The Lancers (3-4) have more losses three weeks into this season as they did all of last year (three).
Saturday's contest tips at 5:30 p.m. with live streaming audio on GoSwords.com. Students, staff and faculty with a valid Chaminade ID will receive a free hot dog, chips and a bottled water courtesy of Board of Regent members Dan and Judy Goo.
