Editor's note: Includes adding of Sameera Elmasri to the all-tournament team.
HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's basketball team concluded the Hoops in Hawai'i Thanksgiving Classic on Sunday with a 71-60 defeat to Montana State Northern at the Hawai'i Pacific University Shark Tank.
Dallas Martinez (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Whittier College/Sacred Hearts Academy) led the Silverswords with 15 points while
Sameera Elmasri (Shawnee, Kan./Birmingham-Southern Univ./Saint Thomas Aquinas HS), making her second start of the season, added 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Amaya Washington (Peoria, Ariz./Dream City Christian) chipped in with a season-high eight points while
Morgan Escobedo (Scottsdale, Ariz./Pinnacle) had four assists.
Chaminade dropped its third straight, falling to 2-3 on the season. Elmasri was named to the All-Tournament Team after posting 27 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, five steals and two blocks during the tournament.
The NAIA Skylights, who labeled the contest as an exhibition, got 20 points from Ryley Kehr and remained at 2-3 on the year.
The 'Swords grabbed an early 12-7 lead with Martinez scoring seven while the team hit five of its first six shots of the game. But MSU Northern closed the first quarter by hitting all five shot attempts as part of a 17-7 run, giving the visitors a 24-19 lead after the first quarter.
Chaminade trailed by as many as seven in the next quarter before battling back thanks to an Elmasri layup, a banked-in 3-pointer from Washington while a
Madison Gage (Broomfield, Colo./Legacy) free throw tied it at 32 with three minutes left in the half. Another layup from Elmasri followed by a floater at the buzzer by Escobedo gave the Silverswords a 38-37 halftime lead.
The third quarter was the game's deciding factor with Chaminade making just one of 13 shots from the floor with the Skylights out-pointing them, 14-2, for a 51-40 edge.
The 'Swords managed to re-discover their touch in the final quarter and cut the deficit to seven twice including at 3:57 remaining on a Washington three-point play to make it 59-52. But Jalen Callender knocked down a triple on the Skylights' next possession then answered each 'Swords' score with buckets of their own to help hand Chaminade its first loss to an NAIA program this season.
The 'Swords shot 37.3 percent from the field while the Skylights shot at a 50 percent clip. Chaminade made 13-of-17 free throws to MSUN's 12-of-20 while Northern grabbed 35 rebounds to Chaminade's 33. The Skylights also dished out 20 assists to the 'Swords' 12.
The Silverswords open Pacific West Conference action Thursday against conference newcomer Westmont College. Tipoff at McCabe Gymnasium is set for 5:30 p.m.
