HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's basketball team opened Pacific West Conference action Wednesday with a 93-47 defeat to No. 4 Azusa Pacific at McCabe Gymnasium.
Destiny Castro (Talofofo, Guam/Notre Dame HS) scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Silverswords who fell to 0-6 overall and 0-1 in the PacWest. Castro needed just six points entering the game to become just the second player in program history to reach 1,200 in the program's all-time scoring list.
The senior guard has 1,214 career points and is just 52 behind Lilia Maio's record of 1,266.
Cheyenne Ardona (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) added eight points followed by six from
Grace Underhill (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest) who also had four boards.
The Cougars improved to 7-0 and 2-0 in the conference. Laura Pranger and Rachel Bozlee led APU with 16 points each. For Chaminade, it was the highest ranked opponent they faced since squaring off against No. 2 Gannon University in November 2013.
In addition to Castro's scoring she also added four rebounds, giving her 502 in her career, joining Maio as the only 'Swords with 500 career boards. Maio is the program's record holder with 695. Castro also had three assists and three steals.
Chaminade shot 28.8 percent from the floor to Azusa Pacific's 54.7. The Cougars also out-rebounded the 'Swords, 53-21, and hit 13 3-pointers on the night.
The Cougars quickly established on why they are highly ranked nationally with a 28-9 first quarter lead.
However Castro had the 'Swords' highlight of the night with a 3-pointer just inside the half-court line to beat the buzzer at the end of the third quarter.
Kali Benavente (Tamuning, Guam/Academy of Our Lady of Guam) and
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran) each had four points for the 'Swords.
Ellyonna Bankofier (Happy Valley, Ore./Clackamas) contributed with three points and
Breann Nueku (Honolulu/Clark College/Kamehameha-Kapalama) two.
The Silverswords will hit the road with a four-game swing in the Bay Area. They open the trip on Sunday, Dec. 15 at Academy of Art.
