SAN FRANCISCO – In recent times, the series between the Chaminade University and Academy of Art men's basketball teams were decided in the final minute.
Sunday's first meeting of the 2023-24 season was no exception.
Trailing by as many as 16 in the second half, the Silverswords got close but ultimately could not complete the rally, falling 87-84 to the Urban Knights at historic Kezar Pavilion.
Ross Reeves (Orem, Utah/Snow College/Orem HS) and
Jamir Thomas (Berkeley, Calif./City College of San Francisco/Berkeley HS) each had 18 points for the 'Swords, who fell to 3-7 and 1-3 in the Pacific West Conference. Thomas, who is from nearby Berkeley and played the past two seasons at City College of San Francisco, also pulled down a season-high nine rebounds.
Kelton Samore (Portland, Ore./Seattle Pacific University/Grant HS) chipped in with a season-high 15 points and seven boards while
Wyatt Lowell (Gilbert, Ariz./University of Portland/William Fields HS) added 10.
Sunday marked the fourth time in the last five meetings the game was decided by six points or less.
Latrell Williams had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Urban Knights (5-3, 2-0 PacWest) who have won the last five home games against Chaminade in the Bay Area.
Making their first appearance at Kezar since Dec. 2019, the Silverswords bolted out of gate with a 14-2 lead with four of their starters getting on the board, led by Reeves' five as he, Samore and Lowell each buried triples during the run. Chaminade maintained its lead until the 3:51 mark when Rodney Munson's first 3-pointer gave the Urban Knights a 30-29 edge, their first lead of the game.
A pair of
Brycen Shackelford (Folsom, Calif./Folsom) free throws put the 'Swords back ahead at 33-32 but ART U closed the first half on an 8-2 run for a 40-35 lead at the break.
Two minutes into the second half, Reeves hit a layup, tying it at 44 but ART U proceeded to go on a 22-6 run over the next six minutes. The Urban Knights led, 66-50, their largest of the game with 11:50 left, thanks in part to hitting four 3-pointers during the stretch after making just two the entire first half.
But Chaminade itself answered as
Chris Bready's (Milwaukee, Wis./New Mexico Military Institute/Waukesha West HS) triple opened a 10-0 run, capped by Lowell's foul-line jumper, to draw to within 66-60 with 8:24 left.
Thomas' trey three minutes later got the 'Swords to within 71-68, and after ART U extended its lead back to eight,
Jessiya Villa (Laurel, Md./University of Hawai'i/Kahuku HS, Hawai'i) scored five of his eight points on consecutive possessions, keeping them very much in striking distance. Reeves' two free throws again got them to within three but CUH could not get closer as ART U made nine of its final 12 free throws to keep the 'Swords an arm's length away.
Chaminade shot 40.6 percent from the field with 10 3-pointers and 18-of-21 from the free throw line. Academy of Art was 43.1 percent from the field and was 24-of-30 from the charity stripe. The 'Swords were out-rebounded 45-to-38 and, despite forcing 15 Urban Knight turnovers with 11 of their own, they were outscored 16-to-14 off giveaways.
The Silverswords will close their NorCal road trip Tuesday at Dominican University of California.
