HONOLULU –
Kiran Shastri scored 13 of his 16 points in the game's final five minutes, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to lift the Chaminade University men's basketball team to a thrilling 64-63 win over Notre Dame de Namur in a Pacific West Conference game Friday at McCabe Gym.
After the Argonauts' took a 63-61 lead on the previous possession,
Austin Pope dribbled towards the right corner and flipped the ball to Shastri on the right wing. The school's all-time career 3-point shooter then drilled a 23-footer over NDNU's Brian Ying to send the crowd of 375 into a frenzy.
The Argos had a final chance for the win but Lance Page's triple from the right corner failed to find its mark as the 'Swords escaped with the win.
Chaminade improved to 4-3 on the season and 2-0 in the PacWest, setting up an important showdown with intercity rival Hawai'i Pacific University Sunday afternoon.
Kuany Kuany tallied his second consecutive double-double with a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Rohndell Goodwin added 13 in the win as Chaminade extended its winning streak against the Argos to five. Pope yanked down a season-best 11 boards and while dishing out four assists.
Ying led NDNU (1-5, 0-1 PacWest) with 19 points. The one-point margin was the closest by the Argos since they won both home-and-home contests in 2011-12, head coach
Eric Bovaird's first year at Chaminade. The 'Swords had won the last four meetings by an average of 32.8 points. Friday's matchup also featured seven ties and 12 lead changes.
The Argos led by as many as seven (55-48) with 6:44 left to play. But Chaminade rallied as Shastri caught fire, knocking down a pair of 3-balls. He also hit all four free throw tries including both shots with the 'Swords down by four with just 1:23 left to narrow the deficit to 61-59.
After forcing an NDNU miss, Kuany drove the lane and hit a layup with 46 seconds remaining to square the game at 61. But Ying responded on the ensuing possession, giving the Argos a 63-61 lead on his basket inside the lane with 25 seconds remaining, setting up Shastri's dramatic go-ahead shot.
The 64 points is the least scored in a 'Swords' win during the Bovaird Era. However the 63 points allowed is the least since surrendering 60 to Point Loma on Feb. 13, 2013.
Despite being out-shot percentage-wise from the floor, the 'Swords out-boarded the Argos, 44-32, and held them to only 1-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
Sunday's meeting with HPU will be played at the Neal Blaisdell Center at 3 p.m. The Sharks remained undefeated at 7-0 after routing Hawai'i Hilo, 104-78, on Friday.
