HONOLULU – After a two-month wait, Chaminade University finally unveiled their new-look women's basketball team Saturday, a delay further compounded after their original opening date at Hawai'i Pacific University was scrubbed last weekend.
While there was a lot of promise early, a slow third-quarter start and a fourth-quarter drought by the Silverswords proved to be their undoing in their 56-39 loss Saturday to the University of Hawai'i Hilo at McCabe Gymnasium.
Arianna Blowe (Monument, Colo./Lewis-Palmer) hit five of her seven shot attempts for the 'Swords, finishing with a career-high 14 points with nine rebounds.
The 'Swords (0-1), who opened the Post-
Destiny Castro Era with two freshmen starters, saw one of them – 5-11 guard
Emma Morris (Tuscon, Ariz./Tanque Verde) – debut with nine points and six rebounds in defeat, hitting three 3-pointers.
Chaminade is 0-1 to start the season in which the only competition this season will be their fellow Hawai'i rivals.
Meanwhile the Vulcans, who have three games under their belt this season, picked up their first win of the year (1-3).
Kim Schmelz, who is in her sixth year of eligibility due to an injury that cost her the past two years, had a game-high 14 for UH Hilo.
Meanwhile
Jordyn Zader (Mukwonago, Wis./Pius XI), who missed all of last season with an injury, contributed to the 'Swords' cause with nine points and five boards.
Chaminade kept pace with the more experienced Vulcans in the first half with Blowe providing nine of the team's 17 points midway through the second quarter including a pair of buckets which tied the game at 15 and 17. Morris' triple at the six-minute mark put the 'Swords ahead, 20-19, for just the second time in the game.
However, UH Hilo went on a 15-5 run spanning the second and third quarters to open up a 36-25 lead. A triple from Morris with 6:23 remaining cut the deficit to eight (44-36) but it was as close as the 'Swords got.
The 'Swords shot just 24.5 percent (12-of-49) from the field while half of their 12 field goals were beyond the arc. They also went just 9-of-18 from the free throw line.
Meanwhile the Vulcans shot 39.4 percent (26-of-66) but were held just 3-of-17 in triples. Rebounding was even with both teams pulling down 38 but UH Hilo owned the inside, outscoring the Silverswords 36-12 in the paint.
Both teams will face each other again on Sunday with a noon tip time.
