AZUSA, Calif. –
Destiny Castro (Talofofo, Guam/Notre Dame HS) added another record to her stellar career but it was not enough for the Chaminade University women's basketball team to overcome the Pacific West Conference's No. 1 squad.
Castro, the junior guard, tallied eight steals, breaking her own single-game record in Tuesday's 72-45 loss to the Cougars at the Felix Event Center. She also had 25 points, seven rebounds and a career-best three blocks.
The Silverswords fell to 5-17 overall and 4-14 in the PacWest, officially eliminating them from the PacWest Tournament consideration.
Azusa Pacific, which earlier in the day climbed back into the WBCA Top 25 Poll at No. 25, edged closer into securing the No. 1 seed in next month's conference tournament, improving to 21-4 and 18-1.
Diamond Carter (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Olympic College/Kapolei HS) and
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran) each had six points for the 'Swords with
Hunter Liftee (Kamuela, Hawai'i/Central Methodist Univ./Honoka'a HS) adding five.
Sephora Yayouss (Brussels, Belguim/Peninsula College/K.A. Etterbeek HS) had a career-high six steals.
Savanna Hanson, the daughter of former Chaminade men's player Scott Hanson who was a part of the upset of No. 1 Virginia in 1982, led the Cougars with 20 points. Laura Pranger had 10 blocks which broke APU's single-game record.
The 'Swords had difficulty with the Cougars' height and athleticism early on. They turned the ball over on their first five possessions before ever taking a shot and trailed 9-0 before Castro took the first shot (which she made) two minutes into the game. The 'Swords had seven giveaways in the game's first three minutes alone which led to the Cougars taking a 14-2 lead.
But from there, Chaminade ramped up its defense which caused Azusa Pacific to become turnover-prone. The Cougars gave the ball away six times with steals by Yayouss, Carter and three by Castro. Those led to three buckets each by Castro and Dean with the 12-5 run closing the 'Swords to 19-15 with 1:42 left in the first quarter.
But a 23-4 run spanning quarters pushed APU's lead to 43-18 which Chaminade could not recover.
Castro, who earlier this year tied her own single-game steals record with seven, made her eighth theft with 6:24 remaining, breaking her own standard. With 68 steals this season, she is just two away from breaking the single-season record which she set last season.
Despite shooting just 25.4 percent from the floor including 3-for-24 (12.5 percent) from 3-point range, the 'Swords held APU to just 41.9 percent from the floor and forced 26 turnovers which is the Cougars' season-high. Chaminade's 19 steals are the second-most in game and one shy of its single-game record.
And although they were out-rebounded, 54-43, the Silverswords impressively out-boarded their much-taller counterparts on the offensive glass, 21-18.
The 'Swords continue their Southern California road trip Thursday at Biola.
