HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's basketball team might be happy to not see Hawai'i Pacific University for a couple of more weeks.
The Silverswords managed to swim with the Sharks for the game's first five minutes before HPU, ranked eighth in the WBCA Coaches Poll and second in the D2SIDA Media Poll, went on one of its patented runs for a 92-37 win Wednesday at The Shark Tank in Manoa Valley.
It was the fourth time in nine days the two teams faced each other. Wednesday's meeting was a makeup of the January 24 game which was postponed.
The 'Swords fell to 0-6 on the season, all in Pacific West Conference action.
Jordyn Zader (Mukwonago, Wis./Pius XI) led Chaminade with a career-high 14 points, making four field goals and all six free throw attempts.
Arianna Blowe (Monument, Colo./Lewis-Palmer) had eight points, followed by
Lile Hina Oyama (Honolulu/Kalani) who had seven.
HPU (9-0 overall, 8-0 PacWest) was paced by Ally Bates' 27 points and 12 rebounds while Alysha Marcucci added 21 points. Amy Baum tied her own PacWest record by dishing out 15 assists, which broke the Chaminade opponent record of 12 she had done twice this past weekend, her third double-digit assist game against Chaminade during the series. She also had 12 points and fell three rebounds shy of a triple-double.
The Sharks ran the nation's longest active winning streak to 34 games. They also won their 56 straight against Division II Hawai'i schools.
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran) had a team-high five rebounds with Zader pulling down four.
After Zader got the 'Swords' first points on a layup, Oyama drilled a corner 3 to put them up 5-2 on their next possession, giving Chaminade its first lead over the Sharks this season. Zader's foul-line jumper put the 'Swords back in front, 7-6, and after HPU went ahead, Blowe's layup tied it at 9 at the 5:39 mark of the quarter.
But the 'Swords went without a field goal for the next six minutes while HPU went on a 17-1 run during the stretch which helped the Sharks build a 45-19 halftime lead.
Chaminade managed just 37 percent shooting from the floor, making 13-of-42 shots.
Emma Morris (Tuscon, Ariz./Tanque Verde), who was the PacWest's second-best 3-point shooter, was held with a triple for the first time this season. The 'Swords also committed 27 turnovers.
HPU shot 54.5 percent and made 10 3-pointers. Twenty-two of their 36 baskets were assisted. The Sharks also controlled the glass, 38-26.
The Silverswords will make their only off-island trip this weekend in Hilo when they face the University of Hawai'i Hilo on Saturday and Sunday. Tipoff times for both will be at 12 p.m.
