BELMONT, Calif. – The No. 20 Chaminade University men's basketball team went on a late run to survive a scare in the final road game of their trip, downing Notre Dame de Namur, 71-59, on Thursday at Walter Gleason Gymnasium.
A 13-2 run late in the second half enabled the Silverswords to break a 51-all deadlock to improve to 13-2 overall and 7-2 in the Pacific West Conference. They won the final three games of the five-game trip after dropping the first two by a total of four points.
Erik Scheive (Marysville, Calif./Yuba College/Marysville HS) paced the 'Swords with 21 points, hitting 9 of his 14 shots from the floor while
Grant Dressler (Las Vegas/Sacramento State/Palo Verde HS) got 13 of his 16 points in the second half, burying four 3-pointers.
Tyler Cartaino (Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury Park) had 13 points and eight rebounds, making all but one of his seven field goal attempts.
Wade Chazz led the Argonauts (0-14, 0-8 PacWest) with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Dressler had five boards, five assists and a steal on the night for Chaminade.
Jake Hutchings (Las Vegas/Howard College/Centennial HS),
Nicholas Anderson (Anaheim, Calif./Fullerton College/Canyon HS) and
Masa Swain (San Jose, Calif./Bellermine Prep) combined for 19 points. Anderson also had five dishes while Scheive,
Roman Young (Wichita, Kan./Mineral Area College/Sunrise Christian Academy) and
Andre Arissol (Northampton, England/Otero JC/Charnwood HS) each pulling down four rebounds.
The teams were locked in a dogfight throughout the first half with neither squad unable to put together a significant run. NDNU scored the game's first five points while Chaminade's largest lead was six with 3:47 left in the half to help the 'Swords take a 32-29 halftime edge.
An 8-0 run helped CUH out of a one-point deficit to take a seven-point lead (42-35) with over five minutes gone in the second half. However the Argos rallied and eventually tied it at 51 with 8:03 remaining.
But Hutchings' old-style three-point play put the 'Swords ahead, 54-51, proving to be the catalyst of the 13-2 surge over the next five minutes. Dressler knocked down two 3s while Cartaino and Scheive each found the bottom of the net during the span. The 'Swords held NDNU without a field goal for the next eight minutes with their only bucket coming with six seconds left with the outcome well decided.
Chaminade shot 51.9 percent from the floor and held the Argos to just 36.7. Rebounds were even at 34 but 19 of the 'Swords' 28 baskets were assisted. Chaminade also outscored NDNU, 40-16, in the paint and 13-2 off the bench.
The Silverswords return home Thursday in a highly anticipated matchup against the PacWest's other ranked squad in 13th-ranked Point Loma at McCabe Gymnasium. The Sea Lions (13-2, 9-0 PacWest) are riding a nine-game winning streak and features forward Daulton Hommes who is considered by several pundits to be an bonafide NBA prospect.
