HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's basketball team provided a decent first-half showing against visiting Concordia University Irvine, which came into Saturday's game holding onto second place in the Pacific West Conference.
However, the second half proved too much as the Eagles defeated the Silverswords, 73-38, at McCabe Gymnasium.
Ellyonna Bankofier (Happy Valley, Ore./Clackamas) had a team-high 11 points for the 'Swords who fell to 4-15 and 4-9 in the Pacific West Conference.
Kali Benavente (Tamuning, Guam/Academy of Our Lady of Guam) added nine points while
Cheyenne Ardona (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) had eight points, three rebounds, a block and a career-high four steals.
Michaela Vanderklugt had 17 points for the Eagles, who improved to 11-5 overall and at 9-2 in the conference, maintained their second-place standing.
The 'Swords were without the services of
Destiny Castro (Talofofo, Guam/Notre Dame HS), the PacWest's No. 3 scorer (18.4 points per game) and steals leader (3.5 per game), who sat out due to an illness.
Despite not having Castro on the floor, the 'Swords hung in there, holding the Eagles to just 11-of-27 shooting in the first half. Bankofier, Ardona and Benavente combined for 18 of Chaminade's 20 points in the first 20 minutes while
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran) had the other two.
However after a three-point play early in the third quarter by
Breann Nueku (Honolulu/Clark College/Kamehameha-Kapalama HS), Concordia broke the game open with an 18-3 run to finish the quarter and outscored the 'Swords, 41-18, in the second half.
Chaminade was held to just 33.3 percent shooting from the floor while Concordia was at a 49.1 percent clip. The Eagles also owned the glass with a 40-22 margin and had 17 assists. The 'Swords also attempted just five 3-pointers, the fewest in a game since January 2014 when they took a record-low four against Dominican.
Dean continued to have a nose for the ball, grabbing six rebounds. In her last six outings, she's averaged 6.3 boards per game.
Also getting first career minutes on the floor was former 'Swords' soccer standout
Kirstin Wong (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Aliso Niguel), who joined the team last week. She played six minutes, grabbed a rebound and nearly hit a 13-foot jumper in the fourth quarter.
The Silverswords will wrap up a string of 10 straight games on O'ahu on Monday when they host Academy of Art at McCabe Gym. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
