HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's basketball team began their final home stand of the season Monday with a 91-30 defeat to nationally ranked Azusa Pacific at McCabe Gymnasium.
Ellyonna Bankofier (Happy Valley, Ore./Clackamas) led the Silverswords with a season-high 15 points while
Michaella Dean (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran) continued her role as a rebounding terror, pulling down 10 boards. She also added six points and dished out a pair of assists.
Arianna Blowe (Monument, Colo./Lewis-Palmer) added seven rebounds and three steals for the short-handed 'Swords (1-14, 0-11 Pacific West Conference), who did not have the services of leading scorer
Dallas Martinez (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Whittier College/Sacred Hearts Academy) due to an injury.
Paige Relph (Las Vegas/Waianae, Hawai'i, HS) and
Sasha Phillip (Hau'ula, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Baptist Academy) were both also on the injured list and did not play.
Paige Uyehara had 21 points and seven assists for the Cougars who are ranked third in the WBCA Division II Top 25 Poll and No. 12 in the D2SIDA Media Poll. APU (18-1, 14-0 PacWest) also became the first women's team in the conference to clinch a spot in next month's PacWest Championships in Fresno, Calif.
Bankofier, who is ranked eighth in program history in triples, has 66 in her career, putting her four behind Lilia Maio who has 70. Meanwhile, Dean recorded her sixth double-digit rebounding game in her past eight outings. At 8.5 rebounds per game, the senior is on pace for the third-highest single-season rebounding average in program history.
During the first 3 minutes, 30 seconds of the first quarter, it was 2-2 game as Chaminade forced four Azusa Pacific turnovers, all coming in a five-possession span. The Cougars then went on a 16-4 run which helped them grab a 22-10 lead after the first 10 minutes.
However, APU outscored CUH by a combined 57-14 in the second and third quarters to improve to 14-0 all-time in the series.
The Cougars hit 51.4 percent of their shots and were 12-of-21 from 3-point range. They had 50 rebounds, dished out 26 assists to 14 turnovers and had 18 steals.
The 'Swords shot 20.4 percent, had 28 rebound and seven assists.
The Silverswords will face Hawai`i Hilo on Wednesday, their first PacWest Hawai'i Challenge game of the year. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
