SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – The Chaminade University men's basketball team completed their first Pacific West Conference trip Sunday, dropping a 100-77 decision to Academy of Art.
Isaac Amaral-Artharee (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic) paced the Silverswords with 20 points, his fourth straight game as the team's high scorer.
Raazhel Watkins (Concord, Calif./Sacramento State/College Park HS) hit three 3-pointers for 15 points with
Zach McIntire (Delaware, Ohio/Mercyhurst University/Delaware Hayes) getting 10.
The loss dropped the Silverswords to 4-7 overall and 2-3 in the PacWest.
The Urban Knights had five in double-figures, led by Deang Duang's 18 points. Academy of Art won its sixth straight and improved to 8-3 and is the only remaining team without a PacWest loss at 4-0. The game was moved at Dominican University of California's Conlan Center after recent flooding caused considerable damage to ART U's regular playing facility at the Walter Gleason Gymnasium on the Notre Dame de Namur campus.
Watkins pulled down a team-best six rebounds for Chaminade while the 'Swords' dished out a season-high 20 assists with
Tredyn Christensen (Eagle Mountain, Utah/Snow College/Westlake HS) dropping four dimes.
Joseph Smoyer (Portland, Ore./Columbia University/Franklin HS) rejected two shots, giving him 18 on the year which also leads the PacWest.
The 'Swords grabbed an 8-4 lead early behind four points each from Watkins and Smoyer. After ART U tied it at 8, Amaral-Artharee hit two free throws to give Chaminade a 10-8 lead. The Urbans Knights scored eight straight before Amaral-Artharee hit a triple to reduce the 'Swords' deficit to 16-13 with 13:12 left in the half.
However Klay Brown hit a 3 on the ensuing possession to trigger a 19-0 ART U run. During that span, the Urban Knights hit all eight shots from the field and did not commit a turnover. Amaral-Artharee's jumper finally ended Chaminade's four-minute scoring drought. The Silverswords could not put together scores on consecutive possessions until late in the first half and trailed 61-29 at halftime with Academy of Art hitting 27 of its 39 first-half field goals for an impressive 69.2 percent clip.
The 'Swords' offense finally got clicking in the second half by hitting 51.3 percent of their shots and outscoring ART U, 48-39, in the second half but it wasn't nearly enough to overcome the deficit.
Chaminade made 32 of its 70 shots, was 7-of-21 from beyond 3-point range and pulled down 34 rebounds.
Academy of Art couldn't keep up its sizzling first-half shooting, making just 42.1 percent in the second half but still shot 55.8 percent in the game. The Urban Knights had 39 boards and dished out a whopping 26 assists.
The Silverswords will disperse for the Christmas break and return to action on New Year's Day when they face the University of Hawai'i Hilo at McCabe Gymnasium, the first of a six-game home stand. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
