HONOLULU — The opening round of the 2023 Allstate Maui Invitational, often referred to as the “greatest field ever” for the event, saw an impossible task set in front of host Chaminade as the Silverswords were matched up against Kansas, the top team in collegiate men’s basketball via the most recent AP rankings.
Despite the “David and Goliath” nature of the matchup, Chaminade fought tooth and nail to make the top-ranked Jayhawks sweat with a competitive first half, forcing more turnovers and grabbing more offensive rebounds to keep the deficit at 12 points going into the half. The Swords were able to keep the game within reach during a 1st half that saw Kansas hold 6th-year senior and leading scorer for Chaminade Isaac Amaral-Artharee scoreless.
That changed quickly into the 2nd half as the teams traded baskets out of the locker rooms and Amaral-Artharee entered the box score with a made 3-pointer to cut the Swords’ deficit to 11. While Chaminade continued to fight on the offensive glass and make ball security tough for Kansas, Hunter Dickinson proved to be too much for the tournament hosts. The 7-foot-2 center finished with a game-high 31 points and 11 boards, shooting an efficient 15-for-18 from the field and hitting one of his two three-point attempts as Kansas slowly pulled away late to put away Chaminade, 83-56. Kansas G Kevin McCullar Jr continued his box-sheet stuffing ways with a triple-double, totaling 22 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 10 dimes for the Jayhawks. Kansas dominated inside the painted area, outscoring Chaminade 58-22 inside the lane and hammering home eight dunks in a contest that KU led from wire-to-wire. Kansas played at a different pace than CUH as well, outscoring the Swords on the fast break, 27-6.
Chaminade was led by the trio of Jamir Thomas, Ross Reeves and Wyatt Lowell, each of whom finished with 12 points. Scott Ator and Isaac Amaral-Artharee each chipped in seven points of their own in the loss for the Silverswords, who shot 34% from the field and 19% from 3-point range on 31 attempts and now will take on the UCLA Bruins in the 1st round of the consolation bracket on Tuesday at noon HT / 5pm ET.
UCLA fell in the final game of the opening round of the tournament, a thriller that finished in favor of #4 Marquette, 71-69. Hawai’i Sports Radio Network is your home for all Chaminade Silverswords men’s basketball games throughout the 2023 Allstate Maui Invitational, broadcasting on 95.1 FM/AM 760 and streaming on hawaiisportsradio.com and available on demand where most podcasts can be found.
