Chaminade looking for first Maui win since ’17

The Silverswords finished below .500 for a third straight season in 2022 with a run of bad luck. The Silverswords lost eight games by five or fewer points, including four on the final possession.

Chaminade hopes to flip the script and return to being one of the Pacific West Conference’s elite teams.

The ’Swords are 1-2 to start the season, which hits its most difficult stretch with the Maui Invitational. The tournament features the top college basketball teams in the country, with four in the Top 10. UCLA, unranked the in the Associated Press poll, is No. 25 in the coaches poll. The Silverswords will take on No. 1 Kansas to open the legendary tournament.

Chaminade hosted the Maui Invitational annually from its inception in 1984 to 2017. The Silverswords are 8-96 all time in the tournament, with some notable upsets among those wins. Chaminade’s upset of top-ranked Virginia in 1982 led to the creation of the tournament, and the Silverswords won their first ever Maui Invitational game to reach the inaugural championship game, where they lost to Providence.

Under the stewardship of Eric Bovaird, who enters his 13th season at the helm, the Silverswords upset Texas 86-73 in 2012. The last win for Chaminade came in 2017. The Silverswords upset California 96-72 that year.

Chaminade will be aided in that quest by returning leading scorer and three-time All-PacWest selection Isaac Amaral-Artharee. The fifth-year redshirt senior has been the Silverswords’ leading scorer for the past three seasons, including a career-best 16.1 points per game last year. His backcourt partner Ross Reeves is also back for Chaminade. Reeves is the reigning PacWest Freshman of the Year after averaging 15.6 points in his debut season.

Scott Ator, who led the team with 38 blocks last year, also returns alongside versatile wing Chris Bready and veteran Jessiya Villa.

SILVERSWORDS SCHEDULE

PacWest/GNAC Challenge

11/10: Alaska Anchorage, L 77-72

11/11: at Alaska, W 80-72

11/16: Hawaii Hilo, L 90-86 OT

Maui Invitational

11/20: Kansas, 4 p.m.

11/21-22: Second, third rounds

CHAMINADE SILVERSWORDS ROSTER

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown

0 Jamir Thomas G 5-10 175 Jr. Berkeley, Calif.

3 Chris Bready F 6-5 210 Sr. Milwaukee

4 Jessiya Villa G 6-0 190 RJr. Laurel, Md.

5 Lennon Lindholm G 6-2 185 Jr. DuBois, Pa

11 Ross Reeves G 6-4 175 RSo. Orem, Utah

13 Alec Peterson G 6-4 208 Fr. Sydney

21 Brendan Mora G 6-6 210 Sr. Palo Alto, Calif.

22 Carson Frawley G 6-5 190 So. Camas, Wash.

24 Scott Ator F 6-7 210 Sr. Murphy, Texas

25 Wyatt Lowell F 6-9 225 RSr. Gilbert, Ariz.

32 Kelton Samore F 6-9 205 Gr. Portland, Ore.

33 Brycen Shackelford F 6-5 200 So. Folsom, Calif.

35 Matt Fegurgur F 6-9 230 Jr. Sinajana, Guam

50 Kameron Ng G 6-0 180 Jr. Kaneohe

55 Isaac Amaral-Artharee G 6-2 185 RSr. Portland, Ore.

Head coach: Eric Bovaird