Box Score
Honolulu, HI --- Freshman guard Jordan Knox went for a season-high 19 points including 13 in the first half, but Chaminade University still managed to defeat Academy of Art 85-70 Friday night inside McCabe Gym. Despite the fact that three Urban Knights reached double figures in scoring for the second consecutive game and AAU outscored the Silverswords in the second period, Chaminade's first half lead held up. The Urban Knights move to 0-19 overall, 0-9 in PacWest play while CHU improves to 7-9 overall, 4-3 in the PacWest.
Sophomore forward Hunter Hayden put Academy of Art on the board with a three-point play to start the contest though Chaminade would promptly respond with a 24-2 run. Knox checked in five and a half minutes into the game and buried a 3-pointer to break the surge by the Silverswords. CUH had pushed their advantage to 23 points when Knox reeled off eight straight points (two jumpers, two free throws, and a layup) to bring AAU back into it.
In the final two minutes of the half, sophomore forward Josiah Jungsten put in a jumper of his own and junior guard Phillip Samuel added a long ball to cut the Chaminade lead down to 14 points. Unfortunately for the Knights, guard Waly Coulibaly knocked down a pair of 3-pointers before the period ran out and the Silverswords were in front 53-33 at the break.
The second half began with a 13-5 run by Academy of Art in which Samuel scored eight points in a row by way of two 3-pointers and a layup that forced CUH into a timeout. With the Knights now within 11 points, Chaminade had a 7-0 burst that put the home squad comfortably ahead again. However, back-to-back treys by freshman guard Ivan Prema, Jr. with less than nine minutes remaining kept the game close and more long-range shooting by the Knights prevented CUH from running away. AAU came as close as 13 points in the final five minutes, but the Silverswords held onto their lead.
Knox played an efficient 29 minutes for Academy of Art University and came through with 19 points that featured a 2-for-5 night from long range and 5-for-6 from the foul line. He also added four rebounds and three steals. Samuel tied his career-high of four made 3-pointers en route to posting 16 points and notching three steals of his own. Junior guard Lance Olivier was the other Knight to reach double figures in scoring (11), but his highlight would have to be a season-high nine assists in addition to three steals as well.
CUH had three players score in double figures led by forward Matt Cousins who had 19 points to go with 10 rebounds. Guard Steven Bennett added 15 points in addition to nine assists while Coulibaly put in 13 points and had a game-high four steals. All Silverswords that played in the contest registered at least two points.
The Urban Knights are now finished with their Hawaii roadtrip and will return to San Francisco with Homecoming Week quickly approaching. AAU faces off against Notre Dame de Namur University on Feb. 13 at Kezar Pavilion with tipoff set for 7:30 PM directly following the women's basketball contest that evening.
