HONOLULU – Back home after nearly two weeks on the road, the Chaminade University women's basketball team opened their season-ending three-game home stand Wednesday with an 81-47 defeat to in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University at McCabe Gymnasium.
Emma Morris (Tuscon, Ariz./Tanque Verde) had a team-high 13 points while
Olivia Crigler (Hebron, Ky./Pacific Union College/Holy Cross HS) set the program's single-season 3-point mark with her 51st triple of the season, which came midway through the first quarter.
Dallas Martinez (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Whittier College/Sacred Hearts Academy) added nine points and four assists while
Dezaray Carter (Honolulu/Sacred Hearts Academy) chipped in with eight points.
Paige Relph (Las Vegas/Waianae, Hawai'i) supplied nine rebounds and four blocks, both career highs, for the Silverswords, who fell to 1-23 on the season and 1-17 in the Pacific West Conference.
Kalina Obrey had 25 points on the evening for the Sharks, who sat out two key starters including center Abby Spurgin, the No. 3 scorer in Division II at 22.9 points per game, and the PacWest's second-leading rebounder (9.9). HPU, which extended its winning streak in the series to 40, improved to 12-9 and 10-4 in the conference. Chaminade has not tasted victory over the Sharks since March 2007.
Trailing 14-4, Martinez got her first field goal to drop. A minute later, Crigler launched a 3-point shot from the left corner which hit nothing but net, which broke Samantha Saito's previous mark of 50 set back during the 2008-09 season. More importantly, the mini-run got Chamiande to within 14-9 but HPU out-scored the 'Swords, 9-3, to end the first quarter.
Chaminade's first two buckets in the second quarter were both beyond the arc, courtesy of
Lile Hina Oyama (Honolulu/Kalani) and
Selena Buttery (Brockway, Pa./Brockway), but an 11-0 Sharks' run extended their lead to 20.
Chaminade shot 31.1 percent, made 4-of-19 from 3-point distance including one from
Taeya Blakeney (Honolulu/Kaiser), who hit her first career 3 at the final horn in the fourth quarter. The 'Swords also made 15-of-27 free throws, pulled down 31 rebounds while dishing 10 assists but suffered 34 turnovers.
HPU made 45 percent of its attempts and also made four triples as a team while making 23-of-32 free throws. The Sharks had 37 boards, 14 assists and 16 steals while turning the ball over 20 times.
The game also slowed to a crawl, taking nearly two hours to complete, thanks to 50 combined fouls, 26 by the home team.
The Silverswords return to the McCabe Gym floor on Super Bowl Sunday when they face Holy Names. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m.
