Every Monday, GoSwords.com will publish "This Week in 'Swords History presented by Big City Diner" which looks back at significant events and some of the memorable games that helped shape Chaminade University Athletics into what it is today.
Nov. 25, 1975: Men's Basketball Begins Intercollegiate Competition
When people think about Chaminade University athletics in general, naturally the first sport that comes to mind is its men's basketball program. But even the storied program has a beginning.
Will Pounds (courtesy Honolulu Advertiser)
Men's basketball dates back to the early 1960s as a club sport, facing community teams such as Ala Moana Produce, Young Laundry, Hi-Lites as well as various squads from the local military bases.
Hoops became a varsity sport in 1966 and a year later was a founding member of the Hawai'i College Conference, facing other colleges from the state including the University of Hawai'i-Manoa junior varsity, the University of Hawai'i Hilo, Church College of Hawai'i (later known as BYU-Hawai'i) and Honolulu Community College.
It wasn't until 1975 that the Silverswords, seeking NCAA Division III membership, had a roster with players who exclusively attended Chaminade including future Hall of Famer
Will Pounds,
Roy Villanova and
Allan Silva (previous teams had non-CUH students and even former standouts from the UH-Manoa). There was also its first all-collegiate schedule that included the local colleges and various four-year and junior college teams from the mainland.
Their first game on Nov. 25, 1975 was against a familiar foe: UH Hilo at what is today the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Willie Pearson had a game-high 22 points while Silva added 14 and Pounds 13 but it wasn't enough for the 'Swords who dropped a 115-88 decision to the Vulcans. Chaminade trailed 55-43 at the half but could not recover in the second to catch UH Hilo.
Although the 'Swords finished the year 10-19, the '75-76 season was considered a success. NCAA membership was granted a few months later, paving the way for Chaminade athletics and the success of the rest of its programs four decades later.
