Box Score SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Junior Kimi Nakamura scored 12 of her game-high 14 points in an explosive first half as the fast-starting Dominican University of California women's basketball team defeated Notre Dame de Namur University 66-48 in th Pacific West Conference Game of the Week on Saturday night.

Sophomore Kayla Valentine added 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists for the Lady Penguins (3-15/2-6) in the victory over the Argonauts (4-13/2-7).

The 43 points by the Lady Penguins (3-15/2-6) in the first half was their most in the opening 20 minutes of a game in their three seasons in NCAA Div. II competition and the most they have posted in a first half since back-to-back 90-point plus performances against Simpson College and Pacific Union in February of 2009 when Dominican was a member of the California Pacific Conference.

“It was our intensity and our talking [on defense] that made the difference,” Nakamura said. “We were strong on the defensive end and that leads to steals and more confidence.”

The effort also continued a recent trend by the Lady Penguins to rebound from a 10-game losing streak. In five of its last six games, Dominican has either had a lead or been tied in the second half.

“We're playing better basketball in longer stretches,” said Head Coach Brianna Chambers. “We're playing with intensity for 40 minutes.”
It's been team-wide, too. Redshirt freshman Lauren Hyatt and senior Te Manu Whakataki "Taki" Te Koi topped the Lady Penguins with six rebounds and Dominican's bench outscored NDNU's 21-6 as the Dominican reserves teamed to hit 5-of-16 shots while Argonauts' subs went 1-for-13 from the floor.

But it was Nakamura, who has started every game for the Lady Penguins this season, who set the tone.

“One of my goals as a junior was to step up and get to the basket,” Nakamura said. “I haven't done that enough since I've been here.”

Led by Nakamura's 4-of-6 shooting, the Lady Penguins connected on 46.9 percent (15-of-32) of their field goal tries in the opening 20 minutes. Valentine ignited the effort with a 3-point shot and a 3-point play that put the Lady Penguins in front for good at the 14:42 second mark.

The Argonauts rallied to the tie the tilt at 18 with 10:10 to play but Dominican dominated the rest of the half. Beginning with a 3-pointer by freshman Ariana Flynn, the Penguins regained the lead and, at one point, scored 13 consecutive points to amass an 18-point lead, 38-22, on a 3-pointer by Te Koi — the fifth different Dominican player to net a trey in the first half — with 3:05 before intermission.

Te Koi had seven of her nine points and two assists in the first half while Flynn and fellow freshman Danielle Yamauchi came off the bench to team to score 10 points. Yamauchi also had four assists, a game-best.

In the second half, the Argonauts narrowed Dominican's advantage to 10 points, 47-37, with 13:41 to go but the Lady Penguins went on a 16-6 to build their lead to 20 points, 63-43, on a pair of Melissa Wise free throws with 5:46 remaining. Wise had six points and four rebounds off the bench for Dominican.

The Lady Penguins return to PacWest action on Monday night when they travel to San Francisco to play Academy of Art University in the 88-year-old Kezar Pavilion. Tipoff is slated for 5:00 p.m.