COSTA MESA, Calif. – The Chaminade University men's basketball team on Monday opened their three-game Southern California road trip with a come-from-behind 76-67 win over Vanguard University at the Freed Center.
Kent King (Washington, D.C./Vincennes University/Fork Union Military Academy) had team-highs of 17 points and nine rebounds as the Silverswords rallied from an eight-point second-half deficit to help them improve to 5-4 on the season and remain undefeated in the Pacific West Conference at 3-0, their first such start since the 2018-19 season. All three of their conference wins have been on the road, a program first.
Meanwhile
Brandon Haddock (Southlake, Texas/University of Utah/Carroll HS) came off the bench with nine of his career-high 16 points in the final 4:19 including a 6-for-6 stretch at the free throw line and a dagger 3-pointer with 20 seconds left that gave the 'Swords a five-point lead. The graduate transfer was 11-of-12 from the charity stripe.
Nathan Medina (Long Beach, Calif./Biola University/Valley Christian HS), the PacWest's leading scorer entering the game, hit four triples for 14 points while
Roland Banks II (Bakersfield, Calif./Fullerton College/Cathedral HS) contributed with 10 points and six boards.
Kris King (Washington, D.C./Vincennes University/Fork Union Military Academy) added nine points and another six rebounds while
Nate Sasser III (West Palm Beach, Fla./Casper College/Suncoast HS), getting his first start of the season, had six points.
Aibigho Ujadugehele led the Lions (5-3, 1-1 PacWest) with 16 points.
Chaminade was on the plus side of the scoreboard for a majority of the first half, taking a 29-24 edge on a Medina triple with six minutes left. But Carson Frawley, who wore a Silversword uniform from 2022-24, had five points during a 11-2 Lions' run towards the end of the frame to take a 35-31 edge. Banks sank a pair of free throws with 30 seconds remaining to reduce the deficit to 35-33 at halftime.
Vanguard built its lead to as many as 56-48 with just under 12 minutes left in the game before CUH began chipping away at the deficit.
Kent King's free throw with five minutes left knotted the score at 62 and Haddock's two free throws with 4:19 left gave Chaminade a 64-63 lead, its first since the 2:27 mark of the first half.
The Lions regained a one-point edge on Ujadugehele's layup but on the ensuing possession,
Kris King converted on a three-point play to swing the edge back to the 'Swords.
With Chaminade clinging to a 69-67 lead, Haddock, in for Medina, hit the biggest shot of the game, burying a right-wing 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining to give them a two-possession lead.
Haddock then iced the game for the 'Swords with four free throws with two seconds left.
Chaminade shot 39.0 percent from the floor, was 7-of-19 from 3-point distance, was 22-of-33 at the foul line and wiped the glass for 39 rebounds.
Vanguard made 45.8 percent of its shots including 6-of-22 beyond the arc with 7-of-14 shooting from the charity stripe. The Lions had 43 boards and were forced into 20 turnovers with the 'Swords converting them into 25 points.
The Silverswords continue their road trip Wednesday at Azusa Pacific. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Hawai'i time.
