St. George, UT- The Pac West Conference opener featured lead changes (7 total) and tough competition, but Dixie State got the win at home, defeating the Swords 66-64.
CUH came out tough defensively, leading by 13 points with 8 minutes to go in the first half. The Swords led 27-25 at the break. All three Chaminade big men had 2 fouls at intermission.
Chaminade dominated the glass, winning the battle of the boards 34-23. Both Dixie State and Chaminade knocked down eight three pointers on the afternoon. Dixie won the battle at the free throw line, going 12-15, while Chaminade only had 4 attempts from the charity stripe. CUH was called for 17 fouls, Dixie for 9.
Chaminade had three players in double figures as
Joel Smith led with 26 points and 7 rebounds.
Mohamed Tangara added 11 points and 5 rebounds, while
Jamar Berry had 10 points and 8 rebounds.
Turnovers turned out to be a major factor as the Swords committed 16. Chaminade shot 53% from the floor and 44% from three.
Tom Whitehead led the way for Dixie, scoring 18 points.
Chaminade falls to 3-6 on the year. Dixie moves to 6-6. The Swords are back in action against NDNU on Jan. 6th at 7:30 PM. The game is at Notre Dame de Namur.
