LA MIRADA, Calif. – The Chaminade University women's basketball team on Friday dropped a 65-49 decision to Biola at Chase Gymnasium.
Although the Silverswords fell to 1-19 overall and 1-13 in the Pacific West Conference, for the second in as many games on their current Southern California road trip, they put a bit of a scare in a contender for the upcoming PacWest Championships which will be held at Chaminade's McCabe Gymnasium in early March.
Olivia Crigler (Hebron, Ky./Pacific Union College/Holy Cross HS) led the Silverswords with 20 points, hitting six 3-pointers, tying Breann Nueku for third-most in program history and just one shy of the program record set by current Chaminade assistant coach
Diamond Carter. It also marked Crigler's third consecutive game were she's buried at least five treys.
Mary-Lee Mitchell (Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis) added 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds, the sophomore's first career double-double.
Dallas Martinez (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Whittier College/Sacred Hearts Academy) was held to just two points but dished out a team-best four assists with
Lile Hina Oyama (Honolulu/Kalani) and
Sasha Phillip (Hau'ula, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Baptist) each pulling down six rebounds.
Biola (11-10, 9-4 PacWest) got 15 points and seven boards from Laila Walker.
Trailing 30-18 midway through the second quarter, the Silverswords held the Eagles scoreless in the final five minutes of the half while Crigler and Mitchell each hit 3s, helping them draw to within 30-26 at halftime. Crigler drilled three of her triples in the period.
Crigler hit her fifth triple less than 90 seconds into the second half while a Morris layup brought Chaminade to within 32-31. But a 21-4 Eagles' run during a 10-minute span between the third and fourth quarters allowed the home team to pull away.
The 'Swords shot 29 percent from the floor while taking 29 tries from beyond 3-point range. However, they hurt themselves by making just 2-of-11 from the free throw line. Chaminade had 45 rebounds to Biola's 48 but out-crashed them, 14-to-9, on the offensive glass. They also dished out 12 assists and forced 16 BU turnovers.
The Eagles were 36.5 percent from the field with nine 3-pointers, making all but one of their 11 free throw attempts.
The Silverswords will be at conference-leading and nationally-ranked Azusa Pacific on Monday. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Hawai'i time.
