SAN DIEGO – For 34 minutes, the Chaminade University women's basketball team had the Pacific West Conference's hottest team on the ropes.
But in the end, it was Point Loma's experience and sizeable height advantage down the stretch that proved the difference in the Silverswords' 65-53 loss Saturday at Golden Gymnasium.
Chaminade fell to 5-16 overall and 4-13 in the PacWest. The Sea Lions improved to 15-10 and 14-5, extending their winning streak to nine.
Despite the defeat, the 12-point margin is an indication that the 'Swords are getting closer to becoming an upper echelon team. In two previous games to Point Loma at Golden Gym, the margin of defeat has been 36 and 31 points.
In her second game back after missing a month due to an injury,
Diamond Carter (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Olympic College/Kapolei HS) hit four 3-pointers and a game-high 16 points.
Sephora Yayouss (Brussels, Belgium/Peninsula College/K.A. Etterbeek HS) added a career-high 12 points while
Hunter Liftee (Kamuela, Hawai'i/Central Methodist Univ./Honoka'a HS) chipped in with nine.
Destiny Castro (Talofofo, Guam/Notre Dame HS) was held to nine but she also pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds. She also had three assists but did not record a steal for the first time this year, snapping a streak of 23 consecutive games dating back to last season of at least one theft.
Kali Benavente (Tamuning, Guam/Academy of Our Lady of Guam) added four points and four boards.
Cheyenne Ardona (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) pulled down five rebounds while
Jordyn Zader (Mukwonago, Wis./Piux XI) had three.
Melanie Quijano had 13 points to lead PLNU.
The 'Swords came out and established a quick lead in the first quarter. They hit four 3-pointers with Carter hitting three of them which helped give Chaminade a 17-11 lead after the end of the first quarter with Carter accounting for 11 of them.
A cold start to the second quarter affected both teams before Carol Schoeder's putback finally produced points nearly three minutes into the period which paced the Sea Lions to a 7-0 run to give them an 18-17 lead, just their second of the game. Chaminade continued to struggle with its shot until Yayouss got a shot to fall to put them back in front 19-18, the 'Swords first score in nearly six minutes had elapsed in the period. A pair of Point Loma triples help them to a 27-22 halftime edge.
Neither team was particularly effective in the third quarter with the 'Swords making just 4-of-16 shots (25 percent). The Sea Lions were no better at just 4-of-20 (20 percent) but still held a 39-36 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Yayouss' 3-pointer with 6:09 remaining in the game drew Chaminade to within a point at 44-43 but the Sea Lions' experience and height proved too much to overcome. Their 13-2 run over the next four minutes helped to put the game away with Point Loma out-rebounding Chaminade, 6-2, during that stretch.
Both squads struggled from the floor. While Chaminade made just 18-of-62 from the floor (29 percent), the 'Swords amped up their defense, holding Point Loma, which entered the game the PacWest's fifth-best shooting team to just 19-of-72 from the field for 26.4 percent, its lowest of the season, and one of the lowest shooting percentages ever by a Chaminade opponent.
PLNU pulled down 55 boards while CUH had 44. Although Point Loma had 21 offensive boards, they could not take advantage fully with second-chance points at 8 each.
Chaminade made 9-of-24 from beyond the arc while Point Loma was 20-of-22 from the free throw line.
The Silverswords continue their Southern California jaunt Tuesday at Azusa Pacific.
