ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Chaminade University women's basketball team opened the 2019-20 regular season Saturday with a formidable matchup against one of the top squads in the country.
Playing their first non-conference game outside Hawai'i since 2014, the Silverswords were not able to keep up against Alaska Anchorage, ranked 16th in the WBCA Preseason Top-25 Coaches Poll, whose full-court press from start to finish resulted in a 93-45 defeat at the Alaska Airlines Center.
However the bright spot was in the form of All-Pacific West Conference guard
Destiny Castro (Talofofo, Guam/Notre Dame HS). The senior guard had a team-high 12 points which moved her past Samantha Saito into second in the program's all-time scoring list with 1,147 points. Castro needs 119 to equal Lilia Maio's program record of 1,266. She also added five rebounds to give her 503, joining Maio as the only two players in team history with 500 career boards.
Grace Underhill (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest) added seven points while freshman
Kayley Elliott (Creswell, Ore./Springfield) had six in her first collegiate game.
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran),
Ellyonna Bankofier (Happy Valley, Ore./Clackamas) and
Cheyenne Ardona (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) each had five.
Nicole Pinckney led Alaska Anchorage (2-0) with 19 points.
Buckets from
Arianna Blowe (Monument, Colo./Lewis-Palmer), Castro and a 3-pointer from
Breann Nueku (Honolulu/Clark College/Kamehameha-Kapalama HS) would help forge a 7-all tie early in the first quarter but the Seawolves outscored the 'Swords 13-2 to take a 20-9 lead after the first 10 minutes.
A 25-11 second quarter would give UAA a near-insurmountable 45-20 halftime edge.
Meanwhile Castro equaled Saito's total of 1,141 points with a pair of free throws in the second quarter then passed her on a three-point play at the 6:41 mark of the third.
Chaminade shot 37.5 percent from the floor and were out-rebounded 42-27. The Seawolves press also forced 29 turnovers which resulted in a 31-10 points-off-turnovers advantage.
Alaska Anchorage also had 20 steals and made 14 3-pointers.
The Silverswords face the University of Alaska on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. Hawai'i time.
