HILO, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University women's basketball team ended the season in style by defeating Hawai'i Hilo, 75-67, Saturday at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Reigning Pacific West Conference Player of the Week
Destiny Castro (Talofofo, Guam/Notre Dame HS) poured in 27 points as the Silverswords won their season finale for the first time since the 2006-07 season, the first year of intercollegiate women's basketball at Chaminade. She also had eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Castro's finished her season with 501 points, becoming the first player in Lady 'Swords history with 500 in a single season. She also set a single-season record with 82 steals. Despite 31 points from UH Hilo's Allie Navarette, Castro finished 0.2 points ahead as the PacWest's No. 2 scorer with 20.0 points.
The victory for the Silverswords (7-19 overall, 6-16 PacWest) not only tied the 2014-15 squad for the most wins but it was also the team's first win in a season finale since 2006-07, the inaugural year of intercollegiate women's basketball at Chaminade. Their ninth-place finish in the conference standings is also the highest since 2014-15 when they finished in a tie for ninth with Dixie State.
Hunter Liftee (Kamuela, Hawai'i/Central Methodist Univ./Honoka'a HS) played her final game on her native Big Island and finished with nine points. Fellow senior
Diamond Carter (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Olympic College/Kapolei HS) had eight points and five rebounds while
Sephora Yayouss (Brussels, Belgium/Peninsula College/K.A. Etterbeek HS) had seven points and six boards with two assists, two blocks and a steal in her final game.
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran) finished with seven points and four rebounds while
Kali Benavente (Tamuning, Guam/Academy of Our Lady of Guam) completed her junior season strong with a career-high 12 rebounds, six points and three steals. Nine of the 10 traveling members of the team got into the scoring ledger.
Chaminade outrebounded UH Hilo, 54-40, setting a new single-game rebounding record, breaking the mark of 53 which was done twice, most recently against Hawai'i Pacific in February 2016.
The Vulcans fell to 8-18 overall and 5-17 in the PacWest.
Spurred by numerous friends and family in attendance, Liftee scored Chaminade's first five points before Castro got into the act with four straight of her own. Navarette's bucket a minute into the second quarter tied it at 18 but from there, the 'Swords' defense clamped down, holding the Vulcans scoreless for nearly seven minutes. Castro sank four free throws to help Chaminade outscore UH Hilo, 13-4, in the period to give them a 31-20 halftime edge.
Carter drilled a triple on the opening possession of the second half followed by a basket from Liftee which gave the Silverswords their largest lead of the game of 16 (36-20) with 7:18 left in the third. The Vulcans managed to chop the deficit to 60-53 with 3:11 left but Castro and Benavente combined for six straight to put the game out of reach.
Both teams were subpar from the field with Chaminade at 38.8 percent and UH Hilo at 27.7. The 'Swords made 6-of-20 from 3-point range while the Vulcans were just 2-of-20. A plethora of fouls (31 by CUH, 28 for UHH) led to 23-of-32 free throws for the visitors while the home team went 29-of-36. The 'Swords' bench outscored UH Hilo's 18-13.
The win also gave Chaminade the final two points in the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge. The 'Swords also finished second in the women's basketball standings behind HPU, giving them the two second-place points.
