SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – After two false starts to their Northern California road trip due to Pacific West Conference COVID-19 safety protocols, the Chaminade University women's basketball team finally took the court in their road opener.
However, the Silverswords, without two of their three top scorers, couldn't match a Dominican University of California squad at full strength in their 89-57 loss Wednesday at the Conlan Center.
Making their first trip outside Hawai'i in 20 months,
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran) made six of her 14 field goal tries for a career-high 14 points and matched her season high in rebounds with seven for Chaminade (1-6, 0-3 PacWest) while
Lile Hina Oyama (Honolulu/Kalani) added a season-high 10 points. Dean also dished out three assists.
Sasha Phillip (Hau'ula, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Baptist Academy) and
Jordyn Zader (Mukwonago, Wis./Pius XI) had nine points each with
Paige Relph (Las Vegas/Waianae, Hawai'i) contributing with eight points and five rebounds, both career highs in her first career start.
Arianna Blowe (Monument, Colo./Lewis-Palmer) blocked two shots, extending her streak of games with at least one block to 12 games, dating back to last season.
Riley Friauf, the conference's leading scorer, had 23 points and eight boards for the Penguins (6-4, 3-0 PacWest).
The 'Swords led once – 4-3 early in the first quarter on a Dean driving layup – before the Penguins ended the frame by outscoring them 23-5.
Down 47-20 at halftime, the 'Swords finally got some offensive rhythm by making 15 of their 32 field goals in the final 20 minutes. Dean had seven of her points in the third quarter alone while Chaminade as a team was also outscored by just four points in the second half.
For the game, the 'Swords shot 40.4 percent from the floor (23-of-57), the second time in the last three games where they've made over 40 percent. They also pulled down 36 rebounds.
DUC shot 46.1 percent and hit seven 3-pointers while grabbing 47 boards.
The Silverswords will be in Oakland to face Holy Names on Thursday. Tipoff time is scheduled for 11 a.m. Pacific time, 9 a.m. in Hawai'i.
Fans are reminded that HNU athletics administration is allowing only 50 from visiting teams inside Tobin Gymnasium. The total includes student-athletes, coaches and staff from both teams; opposing fans can occupy the rest of the remaining spaces.
