LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Chaminade University women's basketball team on Monday was named the Pacific West Conference Team of the Week.
The Silverswords last week split the final two games of their home stand with a convincing win over Biola while taking nationally ranked and three-time defending conference champ Azusa Pacific to the brink of its first conference loss since February 2023.
The 'Swords' defense stymied Biola in their 57-42 win last Thursday, the team's first-ever win against the Eagles in 12 tries. It was the fewest points allowed in program history and just the second time not allowing the opposition to crack the 50-point plateau. The five points allowed in the fourth quarter is tied for the second fewest in any quarter in team history since the sport went to the quarter system in 2015-16.
In Saturday's narrow defeat to Azusa Pacific, ranked No. 8 in the WBCA Coaches Poll and 17th in the D2CSC Media Poll, the two-point margin of defeat is the fewest in series history while the 59 points allowed is the fewest allowed to the Cougars since the two teams began facing each other in 2013. Entering Saturday, APU averaged 85.9 points in the previous 18 meetings in the series.
Sameera Elmasri (Shawnee, Kan./Birmingham-Southern Univ./Saint Thomas Aquinas HS) totaled 37 points, 17 rebounds and nine steals during the weekend while
Morgan Escobedo (Scottsdale, Ariz./Pinnacle) added 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven steals and five assists, running her streak of double-digit scoring games to five, the longest of her career.
Kali Jones (Hyrum, Utah/Mountain Crest) ripped down 17 total rebounds and her 7.7 rebounds average is on pace to finish as the fifth highest in the program annals.
APU's Amayah Kirkman was named the conference's Player of the Week with Dominican's Taylor Linzie earning Defender of the Week.
The Silverswords open a five-game road trip on Wednesday at Fresno Pacific. Tip time is set for 2 p.m. Hawai'i time.
