Sweet-shooting Syracuse takes down Chaminade in Allstate Maui Invitational

Sweet-shooting Syracuse takes down Chaminade in Allstate Maui Invitational

Photo Credit: Andrew Lee/Chaminade Athletics

Sweet-shooting Syracuse takes down Chaminade in Allstate Maui Invitational

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOV 22, 2023

HONOLULU — The Chaminade Silverswords (1-5, 0-1 PacWest) started slow once again and saw the Syracuse Orange shoot 56% from the floor and drill 12 3-pointers as the hosts fell, 105-56, in the final outing in the event until 2025 for the Division II Silverswords. Seven different SU players finished in double-figures as the ‘Cuse put up over 50 points in both halves and shot a scorching 50% from 3-point land in the 2nd half to head back to the mainland with a win. 

The Silverswords lost the tip and gave up the game’s first points, a soft hook shot from 7-foot-4 center Nadeem McLeod, before taking their first (and only) lead of the evening ten seconds later with a Wyatt Lowell triple to make it 3-2 in favor of the hosts. The lead lasted just over a minute before Syracuse’s Chris Bell drilled his first 3-pointer of the game at the 18:20 mark of the 1st half to give the lead to SU, 5-3. The Orange turned up the defensive pressure from there, suffocating the Swords’ offense while the margin separating the teams reached double-digits by the 14-minute mark of the 1st half. 

Chaminade saw the offensive struggles of the previous two days continue, shooting 17% from the floor (6/36 FG) in the first 20 minutes of action while the Orange ran in transition and continued to get into the paint at will. While shooting struggles plagued the PacWest representatives, Syracuse continued to give the ball to the mountain in the middle in McLeod. The junior transfer from Florida State recorded a game-high 11 points through one half and chipped in seven rebounds as the Orange took a 52-18 lead into the locker rooms. 

Like the games against #1 Kansas and UCLA, Chaminade started the 2nd half with a fury by ripping off a 6-0 run and continuing to trade baskets with the Orange through the first five minutes out of the locker rooms. Swords’ guards Ross Reeves and Jamir Thomas started to get into rhythm after the turn of halves, getting penetration against SU’s defense and finding the touch from long range. After 1-for-10 and 2-for-7 shooting performances for Thomas and Reeves respectively in the first 20 minutes, the guards combined for 17 of Chaminade’s 38 2nd half points on 50% shooting from the floor. CUH leading scorer Isaac Amaral-Arthare continued his rough shooting tournament, going 1-for-12 from the floor and finishing in single digits (7 points) for the third consecutive game. 

Despite the strong start to the 2nd half for Chaminade, Syracuse’s athleticism and size continued to prove unstoppable for the Silverswords as the Orange put up another 53 points in the final 20 minutes to cruise to a 105-56 victory over the tournament hosts. 

Syracuse was led by Chris Bell’s 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting and four 3-pointers while sophomore wing Justin Taylor recorded his first double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the win. The Orange returns home to host LSU in the ACC/SEC Challenge inside the JMA Wireless Dome on Tuesday, November 28. 

Chaminade was paced by Reeves’ 13 points as the guard chipped in five boards and three dimes in the loss. JUCO transfer Jamir Thomas capped off his strong Allstate Maui Invitational showing with 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds as the 5-foot-10 guard saw 30 minutes of action. The Silverswords return to McCabe Gymnasium on Monday, November 27 to host Slippery Rock at 5 p.m. HT, looking to get back on track and snap the team’s four-game losing streak against a step down in competition from the Thanksgiving-week classic. 

UCLA’s size, paint presence overwhelms Chaminade in 2023 Allstate Maui Invitational

UCLA’s size, paint presence overwhelms Chaminade in 2023 Allstate Maui Invitational

HONOLULU, HI – NOVEMBER 21: UCLA Bruins forward Berke Buyuktuncel (9) grabs a rebound against the Chaminade Silverswords during the second round of the Allstate Maui Invitational on November 21, 2023, at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire)

UCLA’s size, paint presence overwhelms Chaminade in 2023 Allstate Maui Invitational

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOV 21, 2023

HONOLULU — Day 2 of the 2023 Allstate Maui Invitational brought a familiar fate as the opener for the host Chaminade Silverswords (1-4, 0-1 PacWest), giving another men’s college basketball blue blood in UCLA a challenge in the semifinal of the consolation bracket of the tournament before falling to the Bruins, 76-48. The Swords entered the locker rooms down 15 and cut the deficit as low as 10 with 14 minutes to play before a near-seven-minute scoring drought allowed UCLA to pull away for a larger final margin. 

Things did not start well for the Swords, struggling offensively to open the day’s second game while seeing UCLA push the pace and get to the rim at will as the Bruins took a lead as big as 24 in the first 10 minutes of play and forcing multiple early timeouts by Chaminade head coach Eric Bovaird. The timeouts proved to be a calming measure for the 13th-year head coach’s team, sparking an 11-2 CUH run to make it a 15-point game with just under eight minutes left in the first half. The teams traded turnovers and stops for most of the remainder of the opening 20 minutes, each mustering six more points before heading into the locker rooms with the same 15-point margin separating the two, 36-21. 

UCLA opened the 2nd half with a fury, jumping back up by 19 points before Chaminade cashed in on three straight threes to cut the Bruins’ lead back down to 10 with 14:24 left in regulation. The Pac-12 representatives flexed their athletic muscles once again and saw freshman guard Sebastian Mack continue his fantastic tournament to keep and extend the Bruins’ lead to 15 once again. UCLA would turn up the defensive pressure as the clock ticked under eight minutes, holding Chaminade without a field goal for the final 6:51 of the game on the way to an impressive 76-48 victory over the Division II program out of the Pacific West conference.  

Mack led the Bruins in scoring for the second consecutive day with 16 points, chipping in six rebounds for good measure. Three Bruins finished in double-digits and nine of 12 players that saw action for UCLA recorded points in the win as the team moves into the 5th place game versus #11 Gonzaga on Wednesday.  

Chaminade was led by 5-foot-10 guard Jamir Thomas’ 17 points (5 3PTM) as the Swords forced a blue-blood program to play its starters deep into the 2nd half for the second game in a row. Redshirt sophomore Ross Reeves stuffed the stat sheet as well, dropping 11 points, five boards and four dimes in the loss. Chaminade takes on Syracuse in the 7th place game with tip-off scheduled for 4:30 p.m. HT on Wednesday. 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. 

Shooting woes sink Chaminade against Kansas in Day 1 of Allstate Maui Invitational

Shooting woes sink Chaminade against Kansas in Day 1 of Allstate Maui Invitational

Shooting woes sink Chaminade against Kansas in Day 1 of Allstate Maui Invitational

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOV 20, 2023

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. 

2023 Allstate Maui Invitational’s “best field ever” set to tip-off Monday

2023 Allstate Maui Invitational’s “best field ever” set to tip-off Monday

2023 Allstate Maui Invitational’s “best field ever” set to tip-off Monday

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOV 19, 2023

HONOLULU — #1 Kansas, #2 Purdue, #4 Marquette, #7 Tennessee, #11 Gonzaga, top-25 honorable-mention UCLA, Syracuse and Chaminade. An in-season tournament to bolster resumes for March. A bigger purpose in the end. 

The head coaches of the eight teams making up the field for the 40th annual Maui Invitational sat adjacent one another Sunday morning at the Hawai’i Convention Center, sharing smiles and quick quips with the media ahead of what looks to be one of the strongest in-season tournament fields ever. 

With five of the eight teams in the AP Top 25 coaches’ poll from Nov. 13, a UCLA program that received top-25 consideration, a Syracuse program under new leadership in first-year HC Adrian Autry that has never lost in the event historically, and Cinderella-hopefuls in host Chaminade, hype for the annual event has grown for months. Following the devastation and destruction of the wildfires on Maui, the tournament site was shifted from the historic Lahaina Civic Center to the University of Hawai’i-Mānoa’s SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center so that the usual location of the event could serve as a hub for recovery efforts on Maui. 

Members of the field quickly worked to find ways to help and found it to be the participating programs’ duties to help in any way possible. The number one team in the nation, the Kansas Jayhawks, played an exhibition game against Illinois to benefit the island of Maui that doubled as a learning experience on the court. The Jayhawks fell at Illinois, 82-75, learning quickly how human the team was despite the national love. Matched up first against host Chaminade, who helped in the creation of the tournament with an upset over three-time national player of the year Ralph Sampson and top-ranked Virginia in 1982, Self is intent on not allowing history to repeat itself. 

“We’ll definitely address that with our players and today’s practice will totally be committed to preparation for Chaminade,” the Jayhawks’ head coach said Sunday when asked about the 41-year-old upset. “It’s [a nervous feeling] because [Chaminade] is playing with house money, nothing to lose… We have got to play loose, too. You’ve got to learn how to play in games like this, so this will be good for our guys.” 

While an update in the upset-record books for the Silverswords is the dream, Chaminade looks to benefit from what multiple coaches and media members have referred to as the “best field ever” over the course of the three-day event. The Swords are guaranteed to play one of the two teams from Marquette-UCLA on the second day of the tournament, two more schools who secured top-4 seeds in last year’s NCAA tournament. 

Overall, the field outside of Chaminade features programs that have a combined 37 appearances in the event, led by Kansas’ eight appearances and followed closely by UCLA’s seven trips. With plenty of experience in the head coaching chairs, the hardwood chess matches begin on Monday at 9:30 am HT/2:30 pm ET with Tennessee taking on Syracuse. Orange HC Adrian Autry, who took over this offseason for longtime head coach and Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, is entering the week confident despite being the freshest among the coaches in the first seat. 

“It’s exciting. I’m a competitor,” Autry said of being involved in such a stacked field. “You know, Syracuse, we don’t take a backseat to anyone. We want to come out, we want to compete, we want to be a part of these things… to be a part of these events and be in a field like this, that speaks to your university, to your program.” 

That field, one that 25th-year Gonzaga head coach Mark Few confidently stated was the “greatest field that’s ever been assembled in one of these tournaments” Sunday morning, will pit All-American Zach Edey and #2 Purdue against Few’s nationally-ranked Zags in the first round after the conclusion of Tennessee-Syracuse. After the Boilermakers and Bulldogs finish up, #1 Kansas and Chaminade will duel before UCLA and #4 Marquette close the opening day of action. 

Be sure to tune into Hawai’i Sports Radio Network for all of the Chaminade Silverswords men’s basketball games during the Allstate Maui Invitational, beginning on Monday, November 20 against #1 Kansas at 4pm HT/9pm ET on 95.1 FM, AM 760 and streaming on hawaiisportsradio.com. 

Meeting Kailah Gates-Coyaso, Chaminade Softball’s All-Conference Swiss-Army Knife

Meeting Kailah Gates-Coyaso, Chaminade Softball’s All-Conference Swiss-Army Knife

Meeting Kailah Gates-Coyaso, Chaminade Softball’s All-Conference Swiss-Army Knife 

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED AUG 21, 2023

HONOLULU — Kailah Gates-Coyaso is a softball coach’s dream player. Since suiting up for Chaminade, she has played seven of the nine positions on the softball field during her time at Chaminade, only leaving pitching and first base out of her positional juggling.  

Versatility has been an exceptional quality to bring to the table, but it isn’t the only type of juggling that the 2019 Waianae graduate has in her arsenal.

Back in her time with the Seariders, Gates-Coyaso would find herself trying to learn how to juggle during down time of practices. It was a silly exercise, but something that she found to help her hand-eye coordination and help her challenge her teammates in a different fashion.

“I kind of taught myself how to juggle,” Gates-Coyaso said with a sheepish grin. “I just started doing it, impressed my teammates… [I would] challenge my teammates to see if they could juggle longer or faster… but it was only me that could juggle.” 

It was an activity that the utility player brought to Chaminade with her, as you can still see her juggling off to the side on occasion as her skills have improved. She said practice with all different objects has helped her hand-eye coordination improve and stay sharp, an important skill to have when taking on the role Gates-Coyaso does for the Silverswords.

She began her college career behind the dish, proving to be more than capable of overseeing a pitching staff and controlling the running game. The former Waianae star got an abbreviated taste of college action during a COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, playing in 11 games, and suiting up in catcher gear for nine of those contests. 

The Chaminade staff began to experiment with Gates-Coyaso more defensively in 2021 before leaning all the way into turning the athlete into a super-utility and chess piece to fit in the lineup every day going forward. She has played in 85 of 87 games for the Silverswords over the past two seasons, the most recent of which resulted in a 2nd-team All-PacWest selection for Gates-Coyaso. 

Despite less than 50 percent of her career starts in the field coming behind home plate, the versatile defender ranks seventh all-time for catchers in Swords’ history with 19 runners caught stealing. Of course, that level of success matches her mindset and her love for the defensive side of the game.

“I enjoy every position that I am able to get people out,” she answered when asked about her favorite spot to play on the field. “I just want to be making plays, I just want to be in charge… I love playing defense.” 

Her time at Chaminade has been nothing short of enjoyable, she explained. With the ability to stay home and close to her support system, her focus turned to being a positive example for local kids and showing that student-athletes can stay home and still be successful.

With that in mind, an inspiration for her future came to the business major on a post-college path and game plan.

“My main focus is to give back to my community after. I just want to give my knowledge to them, both business-wise and with softball,” Gates-Coyaso said.

One way she’s thought about combining the two? Giving back to less-fortunate kids who may need equipment and funding for opportunities they could use to succeed.

“In this world, everything is so expensive, and I feel like there are a lot of restrictions of kids playing sports just because they don’t have the funds [to play]. I don’t think [money issues] should be the reason why they can’t play the sport they desire to play,” the Waianae graduate proudly stated.

Gates-Coyaso further discussed her future dreams and aspirations, being introduced to baseball before softball (thanks to her dad), her initial hesitation at the switch to softball, the process of teaching herself the catcher position junior year of high school and much more during the conversation.

Kailah Gates-Coyaso juggles the struggles of being a student-athlete extremely well. She has only improved on the softball field, been a multi-time honoree for academic achievements and was selected as one of the best players in the entire PacWest in the 2023 season.

For some, it might be too much juggling to ask for one person. For Gates-Coyaso?

Well, she has always enjoyed juggling anyway. 

Chaminade’s Positivity Power Plant: Kobe Brown and the Art of Having Fun

Chaminade’s Positivity Power Plant: Kobe Brown and the Art of Having Fun

Chaminade’s Positivity Power Plant: Kobe Brown and the Art of Having Fun

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED AUG 12, 2023

HONOLULU — Softball is a sport that is centered around failure.

It’s a game that can cause mental toil, self-doubt and a lot of questioning of yourself. Weird plays happen at inopportune times and hot streaks turn into long cold spells consistently.

Despite all of that, Chaminade softball first baseman Kobe Brown remains one of the most positive people that you can come across.

The 2019 graduate of Mililani is one of the best defenders in the history of the Silverswords softball program, covering first base as well as anyone has for Chaminade. She holds the highest fielding percentage (.994), most putouts (984) and has nearly 50 career double plays turned. 

Her journey on the softball diamond began with the boys, growing up playing baseball first. She recalls baseball being first introduced to her at the age of four while spending time at her babysitter’s house, playing in the backyard with the sitter’s grandson.

She started to play both softball and baseball at six years old and continued playing both up through middle school. While her baseball career eventually closed out, she just “kept playing softball.” 

Despite her success in the sport, Brown wasn’t a stranger to the mental turmoil of the game she loves. Nobody is a stranger to adversity. Despite that, she remains the upbeat teammate that can lure anybody into comfort. Brown credits her ability to keep a positive mindset and attitude partially to her time at Mililani.

“Of course they taught me a lot about [the game of softball], but most importantly, something I took forward into college was [Mililani] taught me how to have fun with the game,” Brown said. “I think that at the front of my mindset is what keeps me going, because it’s easy to give up on yourself in a sport mainly about failure.”

“I’m really thankful for Mililani,” she continued.

Her thankfulness for the OIA member school continued, understanding the differences between the public-school league versus the experience at an ILH institution in Maryknoll. With two years spent at each, Brown got a good idea of the ins-and-outs presented to her by each school.

While she acknowledged financial resources are typically an advantage for ILH school, the first baseman held firm in her belief that the OIA’s Mililani provided her with an unforgettable high school experience that didn’t leave her feeling shorted after graduation.

“I believe I’m very lucky to have experienced the two leagues and see the differences between, but I wouldn’t say there are too many differences. Obviously, Maryknoll has a lot of money,” Brown said. “The main difference between the two I would say is pride. Playing for my home school and having Mililani across my chest and playing for my community that I grew up in? It was a different feeling and I had [even more pride] playing for Mililani.”

After a successful prep career, she originally committed to a school on the mainland. Brown got cold feet on her graduation day when it came to leaving the islands to continue her softball career and re-opened her recruitment with eyes to schools at home this time.

Chaminade wasn’t the first school to come calling for the platinum glove first baseman, but they did end up being the program to win out the services of the former Trojans star. The ability to have her support system still in place as she approached her college career was a comforting thought. It clearly has worked out for the Swords fifth-year senior, etching her name in the record books for one of her hometown schools. 

Despite experiencing a global pandemic in her first season of collegiate athletics, Brown’s positive attitude continued to shine through. Since then, she has been a mainstay in the lineup and at first for the Swords and been as consistent as they come with the glove.

Brown also discussed her major, the family inspiration behind her career pursuit, her experience growing up playing baseball with the boys, the advice she would offer to her younger self and much more.

Chaminade may not have been the initial destination for Kobe Brown, but the partnership has proved fruitful for both sides. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been or won’t be mistakes, but with Brown around, positivity will always shine through.