BELMONT, Calif. – In the final contest of their five-game road trip, the Chaminade University women's basketball team suffered their second-lowest scoring game of the season in a 65-49 loss to Notre Dame de Namur at the Walter Gleason Gymnasium.
The outcome comes just 48 hours after the Silverswords put up 90 at Holy Names, the team's highest-scoring game this year, which also was the third-highest scoring contest in program history.
The loss dropped the 'Swords to 4-9 overall and 3-6 in the Pacific West Conference.
After pouring in a school-record 40 points on Tuesday,
Destiny Castro (Talofofo, Guam/Notre Dame HS) was held to 14 points on the night. She also had six rebounds and three assists.
Jordyn Zader (Mukwanago, Wis./Piux XI) added nine points, making 7-of-8 free throw attempts.
Hunter Liftee (Kamuela, Hawai'i/Central Methodist Univ./Honoka'a HS) had seven and five boards.
Jordan Rodriguez and Lindsay Bates, a former Konawaena High School standout, paced the Argonauts with 13 points each with NDNU improving to 3-9 and 2-6 in the conference.
Chaminade's only lead came a minute at 3-2, courtesy of a 3-pointer by
Kali Benavente (Tamuning, Guam/Academy of Our Lady of Guam).
A 13-0 run that followed put the 'Swords in a 15-3 hole before Castro's first points of the game on a layup ended their four-minute scoring drought. Liftee's triple a minute later reduced the deficit to seven but it was as close as they got the remainder of the game. Rachel Pau'u's three-point play began a 7-0 NDNU's quarter-ending run which put them ahead 22-8.
The Argos led by as many as 19 in the second quarter and 29 early in the fourth. However the 'Swords managed to finish strong on a 14-2 run in the game's final 8:39 including 10 straight in the final four minutes. Zader had four points during the span while
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran) and
Sephora Yayouss (Brussels, Belgium/Peninsula College/K.A. Etterbeek HS) each had three with the latter scoring a season-high five in the game. Chaminade outscored the Argos 16-5 in the final quarter, the fewest points allowed by the 'Swords since the four-quarter system was introduced in 2015-16.
After a season-high 32 made field goals on Tuesday, the 'Swords made just 16 of 49 shots for 32.7 percent while NDNU was 25 of 52 (48.1 percent). The Argos held the slight edge in rebounds (32-31) and 3-pointers made (8-6) but had 18 assists to Chaminade's nine. The 'Swords were able to force 21 turnovers but committed 24 themselves, a season-high.
The Silverswords return home for their first game of the 2019 calendar year when they face Point Loma at McCabe Gymnasium.
