HONOLULU – This week may be been one of the most difficult stretches in recent memory for the Chaminade University men's basketball team.
After all, the Silverswords faced three quality Division I foes at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational in Las Vegas earlier this week. On Saturday, they wrapped up their four-games-in-six-days marathon against the No. 1-ranked team in Division II.
However, not even a return to the friendly confines of McCabe Gymnasium was enough for the 'Swords who dropped a 52-38 defensive struggle against Lubbock Christian, their first loss to a fellow Division II squad this season.
Zach McIntire (Delaware, Ohio/Mercyhurst University/Delaware Hayes) led Chaminade with 15 points coming off the bench.
Tredyn Christensen (Eagle Mountain, Utah/Snow College/Westlake HS) added eight points and seven rebounds while
Kevin Kremer (Chico, Calif./University of Utah/Pleasant Valley HS) had a team-best nine boards.
Aamer Muhammed had 15 points to lead the Chaps who improved to 7-0 and are returning home to Lubbock, Texas, after defeating all three of Hawai'i's D-II programs.
The first four minutes of the game foretold of the offensive struggles for both teams. At the first media timeout at the 15:51 mark, both teams had one field goal. Although LCU took the lead and held it, the 'Swords would not go away. Eventually the Chaps grabbed a 13-point lead (31-18) with 2:33 left in the first half en-route to a 35-22 halftime lead.
A hook shot by
Joseph Smoyer (Portland, Ore./Columbia University/Franklin HS) three minutes into the second half began an 8-0 Chaminade run which reduced the deficit to 37-32 with 13:36 remaining. But LCU answered with a 9-0 run of its own to reclaim a double-digit lead at the midway point of the second half.
Christensen's layup with 3:55 left finally reduced the deficit to single digits at 47-38 but it proved to be Chaminade's final field goal of the game.
The 'Swords shot just 28.6 percent from the floor and made only one of 24 3-point tries. They were out-rebounded, 37-to-35, but out-crashed them on the offensive glass, 13-to-5.
The 38 points is the fewest by the 'Swords since November 1996 when they put up 37 against Iowa.
Conversely, the Chaps' 52 points was their fewest since November 2019 when they had just 47 at Colorado School of Mines. Chaminade also held LCU to well below its season scoring average of 79.2 points per game entering Saturday.
The Silverswords open Pacific West Conference action Wednesday when they host Concordia University Irvine at McCabe Gym. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
