SAN DIEGO – The Chaminade University women's basketball team opened their Southern California road trip off O'ahu Saturday with a 77-53 loss to Point Loma at Golden Gymnasium.
Ashley Holen (Watford City, N.D./Minot State University/Watford City HS) led the Silverswords with career-highs of 18 points and five rebounds.
Sameera Elmasri (Shawnee, Kan./Birmingham-Southern Univ./Saint Thomas Aquinas HS) and
Emma Morris (Tucson, Ariz./Tanque Verde) each added eight points while
Dallas Martinez (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Whittier College/Sacred Hearts Academy) and
Morgan Escobedo (Scottsdale, Ariz./Pinnacle) both had five assists. Elmasri also had three steals as the 'Swords fell to 2-8 overall and 0-5 in the Pacific West Conference.
Tavia Rowell, formerly of Hawai'i Pacific University, led Point Loma with 18 points. The Sea Lions, who have won all 16 meetings in the series, improved to 7-5 and 3-1 in the conference.
Playing their first contest since Dec. 12 and the third of six straight on the mainland, the 'Swords looked sluggish at the start, missing their first four shots with three turnovers before Holen got Chaminade's first basket four minutes in to stop Point Loma's 7-0 start.
The Sea Lions scored 10 of the game's next 12 points to open up a 13-point lead late in the opening quarter.
The 'Swords would close to within 10 on three occasions in the second quarter, the last coming at 35-25 in a
Madison Gage (Broomfield, Colo./Legacy) layup before the Sea Lions extended to a 37-25 lead. Neither team played very efficiently to end the half, however, with the teams going a combined 0-for-6 in the final two minutes.
Point Loma's 9-0 run late in the third quarter extended its lead to 57-32, sending the 'Swords to their eighth straight defeat.
Chaminade shot 32.3 percent from the field with Morris making two of the team's five 3-pointers. The 'Swords pulled in 31 rebounds and came away with eight steals. The Sea Lions made 52.5 percent of their shots with eight triples, 41 boards, 22 assists and 11 steals.
The Silverswords' next stop on their trip is Monday, New Year's Day at Biola. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Hawai'i time.
