HONOLULU – For three quarters on Monday, the Chaminade University women's basketball team had Academy of Art, one of the Pacific West Conference leaders, on the ropes.
However, the Urban Knights used an 11-0 run early in the final quarter to quell the Silverswords' upset bid, 70-59, at McCabe Gymnasium.
Three 'Swords scored in double-digits, led by
Dallas Martinez's (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Whittier College/Sacred Hearts Academy) 13 points, the sixth time this season the sophomore has led the team in points ledger.
Ellyonna Bankofier (Happy Valley, Ore./Clackamas) and
Paige Relph (Las Vegas/Waianae, Hawai'i, HS) each added 11, a career high for the latter.
Relph also set another career high with seven rebounds and tied another with three blocked shots.
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran) and Martinez each pulled down a team-best nine boards with the former dishing out five assists, tying her season-high which she set in the season opener against Multnomah.
Lile Hina Oyama (Honolulu/Kalani) added nine points for Chaminade with
Emma Morris (Tuscon, Ariz./Tanque Verde) had seven rebounds and two blocks.
Lauryn Manns had 14 points to lead the Urban Knights who improved to 9-6 overall and 6-2 in the PacWest)
The Silverswords (1-9, 0-6 PacWest) managed to contain ART U guard Chanel Stuart (12 points) by forcing her to shot a meager 2-of-13 from 3-point range. Stuart, who earlier on Monday was named the PacWest Player of the Week, entered the evening having made 14 of 26 triples in first two games of the road trip in the 808 including 10 at Hawai'i Pacific on Saturday which tied the conference record.
With the Urban Knights using a full court press defense, the 'Swords found themselves in a physical contest. A total of 49 fouls were called with three players fouling out. Twenty-seven of the fouls were whistled against the visitors from San Francisco with two Urban Knights picking up five personal fouls.
Although they never led in the game, Chaminade managed to keep its head above water throughout the opening quarter, trailing 15-12. ART U extended to a 35-25 edge late in the second quarter but three throws by Bankofier and
Jamia Bailey (Yokosuka, Japan/Yokota) helped them cut the deficit to single digits (37-28) at halftime.
Martinez would help CUH stay within striking distance in the third quarter with six points while Bankofier buried a triple right before the third quarter horn. Dean began the final quarter by hitting a driving layup to bring Chaminade to 52-48.
However the Urban Knights scored 11 straight, giving them their largest lead of the game at 63-48. Chaminade would not get closer than 10 the rest of the way.
The 'Swords made 20-of-57 from the floor for 35.1 percent while holding ART U to 25-of-76 shooting for 32.9 including just 5 of 32 from long range. Chaminade made 16 of its 24 free throw tries with Martinez making 7 of 8 to raise her free throw percentage to 81.6 percent, fourth best in the conference.
Both teams had trouble taking care of the ball with CUH committing 26 turnovers while ART U gave it away 17 times. The rebounding category was near even with the Urban Knights pulling down 49 to Chaminade's 48.
Meanwhile,
Arianna Blowe (Monument, Colo./Lewis-Palmer) saw her blocked-shot streak come to an end at 14 games.
The Silverswords will open their Southern California road trip Saturday at Biola.
