HONOLULU – The Chaminade University men's basketball team made a successful regular season debut Saturday with 77-65 win over the University of Alaska in the PacWest/GNAC Challenge at McCabe Gymnasium.
Sawyer Storms (Idaho Falls, Idaho/College of Southern Idaho/Idaho Falls HS) hit 7-of-10 shots including three 3-pointers for game-high 17 points to lead the Silverswords, who won their regular season opener for the sixth consecutive year. It is also the ninth season-opening win in
Eric Bovaird's 10 years as head coach.
Preseason Pacific West Conference All-Preseason selection
Isaac Amaral-Artharee (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic) added 13 points in the win while
Kevin Kremer (Chico, Calif./University of Utah/Pleasant Valley HS) had 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Quin Barnard and Koby Huerta led the Nanooks (0-1) with 13 points each.
Chaminade (1-0) held Alaska to just 5-of-29 from 3-point range and had 39 bench points with Storms and Kremer providing most of the scoring from a reserve role.
UAF held an 11-4 advantage four minutes in before Storms scored Chaminade's next points including a pair of triples. He buried his third 3 at the 13:21 mark of the half to get Chaminade's first tie at 17-all. The 'Swords got their first lead at 23-22 at the midway point of the half on a straightaway 3-pointer from
Raazhel Watkins (Concord, Calif./Sacramento State/College Park HS) then, later in the half following a 3 from Shadeed Shabazz, Amaral-Artharee answered with a baseline jumper with 51 seconds left to put the 'Swords ahead to stay.
In the second half, Alaska would hang around, staying within 8 points but never getting closer than two. It wasn't until a near-six minute stretch late that the 'Swords put together a 13-5 run to get their first double-digit lead (69-59) which came with a minute left. Chaminade making all six field goal attempts during the run.
Chaminade shot nearly 56 percent from the floor, making 33-of-59 shots and pulled down 44 rebounds. The Nanooks make 36.6 percent with 33 boards, 15 on the offensive end.
In the opening game of the PacWest/GNAC Challenge, Alaska Anchorage held on to down Hawai'i Pacific, 62-56.
The Silverswords will face UAA (1-0) on Sunday to conclude the Challenge at 3 p.m. while the Sharks (0-1) and Nanooks tangle at 1 p.m.
