HONOLULU – A year ago, the Chaminade University men's basketball team opened their season in an exhibition game against the University of Hawai'i on the island of Maui.
That game saw the Silverswords stay in it all 40 minutes before falling in an 85-80 defeat.
Fast forward to Sunday, the 'Swords once again made their season debut against the Rainbow Warriors, the exception being the game was at the UH campus less than a mile away from their home on Kalaepohaku. Meaning, they had the full support of their fan base.
Once again, Chaminade's full-court press helped build as many as a seven-point lead at the midway point before eventually falling to their Division I neighbors, 93-87, at Bankoh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Kent King (Washington, D.C./Vincennes University/Fork Union Military Academy) had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Silverswords with newcomer
Nathan Medina (Long Beach, Calif./Biola University/Valley Christian HS) adding 17 more, knocking down three 3-pointers.
Returnee
Roland Banks II (Bakersfield, Calif./Fullerton College/Cathedral HS) and another newcomer
Nate Sasser III (West Palm Beach, Fla./Casper College/Suncoast HS) each added 13 for Chaminade. Another first-year 'Sword,
Brandon Haddock (Southlake, Texas/University of Utah/Carroll HS), had six of the team's 14 steals.
Dre Bullock led Hawai'i with 23 points.
The 'Swords' press forced 22 turnovers and recycled them into 30 points. The bigger Rainbows, however, out-rebounded them, 59-to-32, including 22-to-8 on the offensive glass for 24 second-chance points.
CUH trailed much of the first 21 minutes before Sasser knocked down a triple, tying it at 43, the first tie since it was 2-2 early in the game. Hawai'i eventually took a 54-45 lead with 15:40 left but King and Medina knocked down 3s followed by Sasser's layup which was part of an 8-0 run to pull Chaminade to within a point.
A Sasser jumper with 13:07 knotted it at 55 followed by his free throw 30 seconds later, giving the 'Swords their first lead. Sasser later got a layup to fall to give the Silverswords their biggest edge of 68-61 at the 8:31 mark.
However, a 14-3 UH run down the stretch proved too much for the 'Swords.
Chaminade made nearly 45 percent from the field and was 6-of-25 from long distance while Hawai'i went 47.8 from the floor and made 5-of-19 from the 3-point arc. The 'Swords also went to the free throw line just 14 times, making 11, while the Rainbows were 24-of-38 from the charity stripe.
The Silverswords will face Nobel University in their first game at McCabe Gymnasium on Friday, Nov. 7, their final exhibition game of the season. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.
