Box Score HONOLULU – In a game that took on tremendous importance with possible postseason implications for both teams, the Chaminade University men's basketball team dropped a 62-61 heartbreaker to Lake Superior State Saturday afternoon at McCabe Gym.
Devin Daly's driving layup with 1.2 seconds left in the game proved to be the game-winner for the Lakers. Just 19 seconds earlier, the Silverswords took a 61-60 lead on
Kevin Hu's putback.
The loss was the first of the season against Division II foes for the Silverswords (5-5), who had won their previous five. Meanwhile, Lake Superior State, which is hovering just outside of the D-II Top 25 poll, improved to 11-1, its best start in 13 years. It was the second game-winning shot in as many games for the Lakers, who downed BYU-Hawai'i, 74-73 in overtime, on Thursday.
Lee Bailey led the Silverswords with 14 points, while
Kuany Kuany tallied his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Tyree Harrison had 10 points and 6 rebounds for CUH.
Cameron Metz, who came into the game among the national leaders in field goal percentage at 62.5 percent, led LSSU with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. Guard Derek Billing, ranked 20
th in the nation in scoring at 22.3 points per game, was held to 14.
The contest was virtually identical on the stat sheet with field goals, field goal percentage, 3-pointers, rebounds, assists and turnovers being near even. But the outcome was decided at the foul line, with Lake Superior State hitting all 14 free throws while the Silverswords made only 10-of-19.
The Lakers held the lead in the opening minutes, but Chaminade took its first on
James Harper's 3-pointer to give CUH a 13-12 lead with 13:46 left in the half. Harper's driving layup would give the Swords a 15-12 advantage, but a 9-0 run put the Lakers up 21-15.
The Swords answered with three consecutive treys, two by Kuany and one from
Kiran Shastri, starting a 13-0 run to put CUH up 28-21 with 4:42 left.
However, LSSU picked up its play, outscoring the home team 11-1 the rest of the half. Alex Williams, who hit the game-winner at BYUH on Thursday, would make his only bucket of the game, a fall-away 3-pointer at the buzzer giving the Lakers a 32-29 halftime lead.
Both teams were near-equal statistically at intermission, but the Lakers hit all eight free throws while the Swords made only 3-of-8.
The lead would swing back-and-forth in the opening minutes of the second half. However, the Swords struggled against the Lakers' pick-and-roll game with Billing the recipient of two layups for a 51-44 lead with 7:11 left, the Lakers' largest of the game.
Chaminade would answer as Hu's banked–in 3-ball with 4:38 left gave the Swords a 56-54 lead.
AJ Mathew would bury another triple, increasing the lead to 59-54 with 3:17 left. LSSU would get two Metz free throws, a layup and two free throws from Tony Harris with 50 seconds left, giving the Lakers a 60-59 advantage, setting the stage for the game's last second fireworks.
The Swords had two chances for the win after Daly's bucket. The Swords' subsequent inbounds pass hit the gym's ceiling support structure, giving possession back to LSSU. Billing then mishandled the Lakers' inbounds pass, giving CUH life with 0.4 seconds left, but Bailey's desperation three-quarters court heave wasn't close.
There were a total of seven ties and 14 lead changes, four and 10, respectively, in the second half alone.
The Silverswords will take the Christmas break off and resume Pacific West Conference action on Saturday, Jan. 4, against No. 8 Dixie State at McCabe Gym. Live streaming audio will be available on goswords.com.
