HONOLULU – The Chaminade University men's basketball team returned to friendly confines of McCabe Gymnasium for the first time in 42 days on Saturday. The homecoming was not kind.
The Silverswords, who began a five-game home stand that might determine their conference tournament fate, were held to just 30.6 percent shooting – their lowest against a Division II team since February 2017 and lowest at McCabe Gym in over a decade-and-a-half – in their 67-58 loss to Academy of Art.
Ross Reeves (Orem, Utah/Snow College/Orem HS) had 20 points and six assists for the 'Swords who fell to 6-12 on the season and 2-8 in the Pacific West Conference.
Isaac Amaral-Artharee (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic) added another 12 for Chaminade with
Wyatt Lowell (Gilbert, Ariz./University of Portland/William Fields HS) hauling in a career-high eight rebounds.
Kelton Samore (Portland, Ore./Seattle Pacific University/Grant HS) chipped in with eight points and
Scott Ator (Murphy, Texas/College of the Sequoias/Wylie HS) returned after missing the last two games due to an injury with six points and eight boards.
Rodney Munson had 20 points for the Urban Knights (10-5, 6-2 PacWest), who won a regular season game at McCabe Gym for the first time since the series began in the 2008-09 season. ART U also ended Chaminade's season in last year's PacWest Tournament played at McCabe.
Much of the 'Swords' struggles came in the final 14 minutes of the first half, making just three field goals during the stretch, and just six in the entire stanza, resulting in a 30-20 halftime deficit. The Urban Knights also struggled from the field, making just 38 percent of their shots, but held a 26-to-15 rebounding edge.
A 10-0 ART U run early in the second half gave the San Francisco-based program a 45-25 lead. Chaminade managed to close to within 10 twice including at the 8:42 mark on a floater by
Jessiya Villa (Laurel, Md./University of Hawai'i/Kahuku HS, Hawai'i) but the Urban Knights seemed to have an answer for every CUH score in the closing minutes to hold them off.
The 'Swords managed to close the rebounding margin to 45-to-40 by game's end and made 13-of-15 free throws.
Academy of Art, which averaged just six 3-pointers per game entering Saturday, made nine, its most since Dec. 16, and shot 38.6 percent from the floor.
The Silverswords' home stand continues Monday against Dominican University of California. Tipoff is scheduled around 7:30 p.m., pending the finish of the women's game.
