HONOLULU – Merv Lopes, the winningest coach in Chaminade University men's basketball history, along with this 1982-83 team which put the school on the map, were recognized Friday evening in a ceremony unveiling a new Hall of Fame display at the Athletics Training and Locker Room facility.
The ceremony was in conjunction with the team's 40th anniversary of their December 1982 upset win over No. 1 Virginia, still considered today as the greatest upset in college basketball history.
During his 12-year coaching career at Chaminade, Lopes achieved a 238-118 career record with a winning percentage of .669. He posted nine 17-win seasons and during his tenure, led the Silverswords to two NAIA National Tournaments and a 1979 appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Among his nine wins over Division I opponents were recognizable schools such as South Carolina, SMU and Louisville twice, earning the program's reputation as "Giant Killers."
But it was Lopes' 1982-83 team which made Chaminade a household name. On that fateful evening on Dec. 23, the Silverswords proved that anything is possible, pulling out a stunning 77-72 win in the Neal Blaisdell Center. The result sent shockwaves throughout the nation and, before the modern age of multiple sports channels on cable television and apps and on social media, had to be double-checked and verified by news outlets before the score could be reported.
The Silverswords that season would go on to post a school-record 33 wins and advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, finishing in fourth place. Of other significance for the team was that six days prior to their win over Virginia, Chaminade pulled out a 56-47 win over the University of Hawai'i, which remains the only victory over their Division I cousins whose campus is less than a mile away.
More honorees from the Hall of Fame will be added to the display in the coming months.
