HILO, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University women's basketball team began the final two games of their season on Thursday, dropping a 59-42 decision to the University of Hawai'i Hilo at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Sameera Elmasri (Shawnee, Kan./Birmingham-Southern Univ./Saint Thomas Aquinas HS) and
Morgan Escobedo (Scottsdale, Ariz./Pinnacle) each had nine points for the Silverswords and pulled down double-digit rebounds with 10 and 11, respectively.
Dezaray Carter (Honolulu/Sacred Hearts Academy) chipped in with seven points.
Chaminade fell to 6-19 overall and 5-14 in the Pacific West Conference to split the season series between the two longtime island rivals.
Keirstyn Agonias had a game-high 20 points for the Vulcans, who improved to 5-16 and 3-12 in the PacWest. They also picked up two points in the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge.
Both teams struggled to find the rim in the first half, each shooting just 29 percent from the field. However the Vulcans owned a 29-23 halftime lead, thanks to a 15-of-20 performance at the foul line while the 'Swords made just four trips, making two.
But a 12-0 run early in the second half helped the Vulcans build a 16-point lead to pull away and send the 'Swords to their seventh straight defeat.
Shooting in the second half was still a struggle for both teams, resulting in a 26.7 overall percentage for Chaminade and 27.3 for UH Hilo. Both team combined to make just four 3-pointers but the Vulcans went 28-of-36 at the free throw line while the Silverswords made just 15 trips to the charity stripe, making just seven.
UH Hilo had the rebounding advantage, 47-to-45, with Chaminade suffering 18 turnovers to the Vulcans' 14.
The Silverswords will get two weeks off before playing their final game of the season on Thursday, Feb. 27 at in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University. Tipoff is at 4:30 p.m.
