HONOLULU – It's like it's 2022 all over again.
Last year, the Chaminade University men's basketball team got off to a rough start with four one-score losses to open Pacific West Conference play.
On Thursday, the Silverswords couldn't get the ball to fall into the rim in the final seconds as they dropped a 79-78 decision to conference newcomer Westmont College at the Hawai'i Pacific University Shark Tank, just the second all-time meeting between the two programs and first since November 1984.
Ross Reeves (Orem, Utah/Snow College/Orem HS) had a season-high 19 points while
Isaac Amaral-Artharee (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic) added 17.
Scott Ator (Murphy, Texas/College of the Sequoias/Wylie HS) set career-highs with 17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in the loss.
The defeat dropped the 'Swords not only to 2-6 on the season but 0-2 in the PacWest with both conference losses coming at home.
The game moved to the Tank after the humid weather rendered the McCabe Gymnasium floor as unplayable. Although it was on HPU's home court, the NCAA considers the contest as a Chaminade home game.
Only six Westmont players got into the scoring column but four accounted for 71 of their points, led by Jarrett Bryant's 22 in the program's first-ever PacWest contest as their overall mark improved to 4-2.
A hotly contested game, the lead for either team never went over six with 17 ties and six lead changes. Chaminade trailed 75-69 with 3:43 left before scoring seven straight to assume a 76-75 lead with 1:42 left. Westmont got a pair of buckets, first from Bryant then by Anthony McIntyre, putting the Warriors up, 79-77, with 19 seconds left.
On the ensuing possession, Ator was sent to the foul line with eight seconds left, making the first to draw Chaminade to within 79-78. Ator's second free throw was short but managed to secure the board but Amaral-Artharee and Reeves couldn't get the winner to drop.
Chaminade shot at a 45.5 percent clip to Westmont's 49.3. The Warriors made several big triples, making 12 of 26 tries while the 'Swords made just six. CUH out-rebounded the Warriors, 37-to-31 and made just 10 turnovers to Westmont's 12.
The Silverswords face Fresno Pacific on Saturday with tipoff at 3 p.m. at McCabe Gym, pending the weather.
