HONOLULU – Back home at McCabe Gymnasium for the first time in 32 days, the Chaminade University women's basketball team lost their first home game in 2019 with an 81-67 loss to Point Loma on Thursday.
Pacific West Conference Player of the Week
Destiny Castro (Talofofo, Guam/Notre Dame HS) overcame early foul trouble to pour in a game-high 20 points on the night – 18 in the second half – for the Silverswords (4-10, 3-7 PacWest). Freshman guard
Ellyonna Bankofier (Happy Valley, Ore./Clackmas) dropped five 3-pointers, two shy of the program record, for a career-high 17 points.
Sydney Peterson and Cara Liggins led the Sea Lions (7-10, 6-5 PacWest) with 17 points each. Liggins also had 14 rebounds and had a double-double by halftime.
Jordyn Zader (Mukwonago, Wis./Piux XI) hit all six of her free throws for eight points while
Hunter Liftee (Kamuela, Hawai'i/Central Methodist Univ./Honoka'a HS) added six.
Castro also had four rebounds and three steals, her 11th multi-steal game this season. Bankofier, Zader and
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran) each had three assists.
Castro's scoring output gave her 894 in her career and needs just 15 to pass Kristle Henry for fourth in the all-time scoring list. She also has 161 career steals and needs just eight to pass Henry to become the new program's career leader.
After two first quarter fouls, Castro picked up her third just two minutes into the second quarter with the score knotted at 22, putting her on the bench for the remainder of the half and eight minutes of playing time. However Bankofier and Zader combined for nine of the 'Swords' final 11 points to keep them within striking distance at 41-33 at the break.
Point Loma outscored Chaminade, 21-10, in the third to take a 19-point advantage, although Castro knocked down a pair of triples while Liftee got her first two field goals of the game in the quarter.
Castro scored the Silverswords' first seven points of the fourth while Bankofier caught fire again, hitting a pair of 3s to whittle the deficit to just 73-66 with 1:43 left to give the home team a glimmer of hope. But PLNU hit six free throws down the stretch to put the game away.
The Sea Lions made 44.2 percent of their shots to the 'Swords' 39.3. PLNU owned the glass with a 42-24 rebounding advantage. The Sea Lions also rejected six shots with PacWest shot-block leader Grace Brady getting five. Both teams had 12 assists with Chaminade getting eight steals to PLNU's six. The game was also slowed with 49 combined fouls, 29 committed by Chaminade.
The Silverswords return to action Saturday against Concordia Irvine. The 'Swords currently trail the Eagles (5-10, 4-6 PacWest) by just one game for the conference tournament's sixth and final bid.
