HONOLULU – In the brief 11-year history between the Chaminade University and Azusa Pacific University women's basketball teams, the series has been long dominated by the Cougars.
On Thursday, the trend continued as APU posted a 101-74 win over the Silverswords at McCabe Gymnasium.
However, the final score was not indicative of how competitive the 18th all-time meeting was. Chaminade led through most of the first quarter before the nationally-ranked Cougars used an early run in the third to start pulling away.
Ashley Holen (Watford City, N.D./Minot State University/Watford City HS) had a team-high 16 points followed by 13 each from
Dallas Martinez (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Whittier College/Sacred Hearts Academy) and
Alyssa Schuetze (Temecula, Calif./Great Oak), a new season-high for the latter.
The Silverswords dropped to 3-14 and 1-11 in the Pacific West Conference.
Sameera Elmasri (Shawnee, Kan./Birmingham-Southern Univ./Saint Thomas Aquinas HS), this week's PacWest Defender of the Week, added 11 points and eight rebounds in the defeat with
Morgan Escobedo (Scottsdale, Ariz./Pinnacle) dishing out five assists.
Azusa Pacific, ranked No. 22 in the WBCA Coaches Poll and No. 18 in the D2CSC Media Poll, got 18 points from Kelly Heimburger in improving to 17-3 and 11-0 in the PacWest. They also improved to 11-0 all-time at McCabe Gym including two wins in last year's PacWest Tournament.
Holen's free throw less than two minutes gave the 'Swords, in at the time, was an inconspicuous 6-5 lead. However, it was the first time Chaminade was ahead in the scoreboard over the two-time defending conference champs since Feb. 7, 2022 when they scored the game's opening bucket in Honolulu, spanning 136 minutes and 15 seconds.
After forcing a turnover on APU's Paige Uyehara, the preseason conference player of the year and reigning PacWest Player of the Week, Holen drilled a 3-pointer followed a Martinez jumper on their ensuing possession, giving the 'Swords an 11-5 lead at the 7:24 mark, their largest ever against the Cougars in the history of the series. Their previous high was on Jan. 28, 2019, when they owned a five-point edge (7-2).
Although Azusa Pacific got to within a point twice in the quarter, the 'Swords answered with buckets from Martinez, Escobedo and
Sasha Phillip (Hau'ula, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Baptist). Holen's floater put them up, 24-19, marking the first time Chaminade held a lead against APU after the first quarter.
The Cougars eventually went ahead early in the second, thanks to four triples in the opening two-and-a-half minutes, giving them a 33-29 edge. Elmasri hit a 3-ball to close to 33-32 but APU's 15-1 run over a five-minute span openrf up a 48-33 lead. Holen's second triple of the game got Chaminade to 50-38 at the break, their smallest halftime deficit to the Cougars since they trailed 37-27 on Jan. 30, 2017.
APU slowly began pulling away in the middle of the third, taking its first 20-point lead with 3:11 left then sank three 3-pointers during a three-minute stretch in the final quarter to build their lead to 25.
Chaminade shot 44.4 percent from the field and made a season-high 10 3-pointers with Holen and
Emma Morris (Tucson, Ariz./Tanque Verde) hitting three each. It is the most by the team since Nov. 21, 2018 when they sank a record 12 against Minot State at the Hawai'i Pacific University's Shark Tank. However, they were just 8-of-18 from the free throw line and had 18 turnovers.
Azusa Pacific shot at a 48.8 percent clip, making a season-high 17 triples, tied for the second-highest by a CUH opponent in program history. The Cougars out-rebounded the 'Swords, 44-to-31, and had 24 assists to 14 giveaways.
The Silverswords' home stand continues Saturday against Point Loma. Tipoff at McCabe Gym is set for 1 p.m.
