ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Chaminade University men's basketball team made their regular season debut Saturday with a 102-86 win over the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the Alaska-Hawai'i Challenge at the Alaska Airlines Center.
Nathan Medina (Long Beach, Calif./Biola University/Valley Christian HS) poured in a tournament record 34 points for the Silverswords (1-0), hitting 6-of-10 from 3-point land and 12-of-18 from the floor. Medina's point total not only broke the tourney record of 22 set by Sekou Wiggs of Alaska Anchorage in 2016 but also surpassed his previous career best of 29 set during his junior season at Biola University.
Roland Banks II (Bakersfield, Calif./Fullerton College/Cathedral HS) added 18 points and a career-high eight assists while twin brothers,
Kris King (Washington, D.C./Vincennes University/Fork Union Military Academy) and
Kent King (Washington, D.C./Vincennes University/Fork Union Military Academy), had 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Both King brothers and
Fletcher MacDonald (Wollongong, Australia/Lubbock Christian Univ./Newington College HS) pulled in seven rebounds each.
Jalai O'Keith led Alaska (2-1) with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Chaminade led for the majority of the first 11 minutes before Alaska took its first lead, 24-22, at the 8:04 mark. Medina then accounted for all of the 'Swords' points during an 8-2 run that tilted the lead back to them. Then it was Banks' turn.
With the Silverswords holding a 32-29 edge with 4:19 left in the first half, the 'Swords went on another 8-2 run, this time with Banks getting all eight then
Kent King's tip-in gave them their first double-digit lead of the game. Chaminade led 47-37 at the break.
The 'Swords maintained their double-digit edge for most of the first six minutes of the second half before the Nanooks chopped the deficit to 70-66 with 11:04 left. But Medina buried a pair of triples while Banks had one of his own to put CUH up 81-69 with 6:55 left, a lead that eventually swelled to as many as 18 late in the game.
The 'Swords shot 52.3 percent from the field and was 11-of-25 from 3-point range and was 23-of-32 from the foul line while UAF shot 47.8 percent from the floor, 11-of-31 from long distance and 9-of-14 at the free throw line.
Chaminade outrebounded the Nanooks, 41-to-32, and had 19 assists with Alaska dishing out 21 on its end.
The Silverswords conclude the Challenge on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Hawai'i time.
