The Chaminade women’s basketball team battled through injuries and limited depth, staying within single digits for much of the contest, before dropping a 78-66 game to Menlo on Thursday night at McCabe Gymnasium.
The Silverswords were missing three key players due to injuries senior guard Dezaray Carter, junior guard Libby Hein and junior guard Kylie Squier but still stayed within striking distance throughout the game. With just seven players available, Chaminade trailed by only four points, 35-31, at halftime.
Even with a short bench of just two plyers available the Silverswords played well on offense, shooting 34 percent from the three-point line and scoring 66 points. While Menlo shot 45.8 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from beyond the arc, the Oaks controlled the tempo in the second half. Chaminade moved the ball effectively and played cohesively, which kept the Swords close against Menlo, a team still seeking its first win of the season.
“I thought tonight’s game went very well for my team,” junior guard Alyssa Schuetze said. “We worked really well together and there wasn’t any individual play. Unfortunately, it didn’t end how we wanted, but I’m proud of my team.”
Early in the second half, Chaminade surged ahead with a 14–4 run, taking a 45–39 lead the Swords’ largest of the game. During that stretch, Schuetze and sophomore forward Maddy Weaver each contributed four points.” Menlo responded later in the quarter, regaining the lead and eventually pulling away in the fourth with a double-digit advantage.
Schuetze led Chaminade with 16 points and five rebounds while taking on a bigger scoring role with several starters out. Sophomore guard Holly Dolny added 13 points, and redshirt senior Ashley Holen scored 11 points to help balance the team’s scoring. The Silverswords had three players reach double figures but struggled to keep pace in the second half as Menlo pulled away late.
Chaminade fell to 0-11 on the season and 0-7 in conference play. The Silverswords are still looking to get their first win of the season with three more homes games left in this homestand before they go back on the road January 29 to go play Point Loma.
“Tonight was definitely a step toward playing team basketball,” Dolny said. “We played much more as a team than we have in previous weeks.”
Menlo pulled away in the second half thanks to senior guard Alberte Frisch, who scored a game-high 32 points to lead the Oaks to their fourth straight win. Frisch hit several key shots and drove to the basket with confidence, making it tough for Chaminade to keep up. The Swords fought hard and played well as a team, staying close in the first half, but Menlo’s pressure eventually created too many turnovers to overcome.
“We are making steps in the right direction, “said Chaminade head coach Brewster” At one point of time we did have the lead, but we had some costly turnovers, which gave them easy points on fast break and wide-open threes, and we struggled on offense to get some good shots when they made their run.
The Silverswords play Dominican 12-3 overall and 6-3 in conference play, at McCabe Gymnasium at 5 p.m. Saturday.