HONOLULU – In a contest that featured a lot of running and point galore between the top two scoring teams in the Pacific West Conference, the Chaminade University men's basketball team outlasted conference newcomer Vanguard University, 100-91, Saturday at McCabe Gymnasium, their fifth game of hitting the century mark this season.
Jamir Thomas (Berkeley, Calif./City College of San Francisco/Berkeley HS) poured in a career-high 28 points coming off the bench for the Silverswords, drilling eight 3-pointers as the Silverswords improved to 11-3 overall, surpassing last year's win total, and 5-2 in the PacWest.
Thomas was 9-of-16 from the floor and his 3-point total was just two shy of the school 3-point record shared by Kiran Shastri in Dec. 2016, Christophe Varidel in Nov. 2013 and Joel Smith in Dec. 2008.
Also getting a career afternoon was forward
Fletcher MacDonald (Wollongong, Australia/Lubbock Christian Univ./Newington College HS), who hit 8-of-9 shots for 18 points, surpassing his previous career-high of 14 set in Nov. 2022 while playing at Lubbock Christian University. The junior also had three steals and blocked four shots for the second straight game, both of which also are career highs. He also hauled in six boards.
Jackson Last (Hurricane, Utah/Robert Morris University/Hurricane HS) added 13 points and seven rebounds for the 'Swords and
Roland Banks II (Bakersfield, Calif./Fullerton College/Cathedral HS) had 10 and six. They, along with
Kameron Ng (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Univ. of Hawai'i Hilo/Saint Francis HS), also had four assists with Ng tying his season-high with 14 points.
The 191 combined points is the most in a Chaminade conference game since a 100-98 loss to Hawai'i Pacific University in Feb. 2023.
Anthony Tello had 28 points for Vanguard (8-4, 2-4 PacWest) in the first meeting between the two programs since Jan. 1980.
With both teams using up-tempo offenses and full-court press defenses as staples of their styles, it was probably not too surprising there were six ties and six lead changes in the game's first six minutes. But Thomas caught the hot hand, burying back-to-back triples which was the catalyst of Chaminade's 17-5 run during a five-minute span midway through the first half.
However the Lions roared back and chopped the deficit to 38-34 with 4:14 left in the frame before the 'Swords went on a 12-2 surge to end the half with a 50-36 lead.
The 'Swords held their double-digit lead a majority of the second half although VU got to within nine at game's end, its narrowest margin of the second half.
Chaminade hit 47.9 percent of its shots, made 13 triples and was 19-of-26 from the free throw line. They grabbed 39 rebounds, had 20 assists and had 25 points off 21 turnovers forced.
Vanguard shot at a 42.5 percent clip, hit 11 triples and was 18-of-27 at the charity stripe. The Lions grabbed 45 boards with 14 assists.
The Silverswords return to the McCabe Gym court Thursday when they host Biola at 7:30 p.m.
