HONOLULU – The last time the Chaminade University women's basketball team faced Dominican University of California, the result was their most lopsided defeat of the season.
And while the rematch on Friday at McCabe Gymnasium still went the way of the Penguins, the Silverswords showed they were better than the 48-point loss they endured on Dec. 14 in San Rafael, California.
Dominican ended up with the 72-53 win where the outcome was much closer than the score indicated.
In just her second game back from early season injuries, sophomore
Mary-Lee Mitchell (Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis) came off the bench and tallied a career-high 16 points, hitting 6-of-12 shots from the floor while pulling down five rebounds.
Paige Relph (Las Vegas/Waianae, Hawai'i) added nine points and eight rebounds, the latter tying a career high.
Chaminade (1-15 overall, 1-9 Pacific West Conference) pulled down a program-record 55 rebounds with
Dezaray Carter (Honolulu/Sacred Hearts Academy) setting a career high with 10.
Taeya Blakeney (Honolulu/Kaiser) also set a career standard in with eight boards.
Aliyah San Juan led the Penguins (11-7, 9-2 PacWest) with 15 points while Brittany Cedeno turned a triple-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 12 steals. Cedeno joins Chaminade's
Dallas Martinez (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Whittier College/Sacred Hearts Academy) as the only players in the PacWest with triple-doubles this season. Both have been accomplished at McCabe Gym.
Like they did in the first meeting, Dominican used a dominant first quarter to outscore Chaminade 25-4. Their lead swelled to as many as 25 midway through the second quarter and it seemed that a point differential similar to the result a month prior was well on its way.
Sasha Phillip (Hau'ula, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Baptist) and Martinez would each hit a pair of free throws that, at the time, seemed of little concern to the Penguins. On the 'Swords' next possession, Blakeney hit a layup, followed by a steal and breakaway layup from
Lile Hina Oyama (Honolulu/Kalani) and quickly, the deficit was cut to 17 at 33-16.
On Chaminade's next possession, Martinez got a floater to drop, followed by a Relph layup. In all, a 12-0 'Swords' run got them to within 11, getting DUC's attention. Oyama would add two more buckets including a layup which beat the shot clock with just seven seconds left in the half.
In all, the 'Swords' quarter-ending surge was 16-2 with Oyama accounting for six during the stretch, helping Chaminade slice the deficit to 35-24 at the half, outscoring the Penguins, 20-10 in the period.
A 9-0 run by DUC to open the third pushed its lead back to 20. Chaminade got to within 15 at 44-29 with 5:12 left in the third after a 3-pointer by
Selena Buttery (Brockway, Pa./Brockway) but that was close as they came.
Chaminade made 35.8 percent of its shots and hit 14-of-20 free throws. The 'Swords also hauled in 55 rebounds, a new single-game record, beating out the former record of 54 set in March 2019 at Hawai'i Hilo. The 'Swords outrebounded Dominican by 16 but also committed 36 turnovers.
The Penguins hit 33.8 percent of their shots, were 4-of-17 from 3-point range and converted 16-of-24 free throw tries and had 23 steals.
The Silverswords are next in action Monday when they face Biola at McCabe Gym. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
