LAHAINA >> Chaminade was rotated out of the Maui Invitational for the first time in 2017 having made a lasting impression with an upset of California, the Silverswords’ eighth all-time win in their signature tournament.
The ’Swords’ challenge upon their return in 2019 was a little stiffer: No. 4 Kansas.
After a strong start in which the ’Swords scored the first five points of the game, the much larger Jayhawks laid the wood in a 93-63 rout of the Division II host. KU’s 7-foot center Udoka Azubuike was a load as he dunked his way to 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting, leading a team effort of 50 paint points in front of about 2,000 loud Jayhawks fans among the capacity 2,400.
“The last time I played these guys, I lost by 51 points. Thirty’s not quite as bad as 51,” quipped Chaminade coach Eric Bovaird, who was nonetheless grateful to be back.
“It was a lot of fun being out there again coaching and having a chance,” Bovaird said.
The Silverswords will be rotated out again next year (and every ensuing even-numbered year for the foreseeable future). But first, they have two more games to play, including UCLA in today’s noon consolation semifinal.
“Being in the tournament is definitely memorable. It’s something you’ll be able to tell, like, your kids one day,” guard Roman Young said. “But it’s definitely special, especially coming out, playing against Kansas, a team that I grew up watching, just being from there (Wichita, Kan.).”
Tyler Cartaino, an All-PacWest first-team forward in 2018-19, redshirted when the ’Swords were here last time. “I think our returners and older guys know that these next two days we really do have a shot to pull out an upset,” he said. “We have done it before, so it’s nothing new to us.”
Crean drops opener with latest team
Second-year Georgia coach Tom Crean is no stranger to Maui, having participated in the Invitational as an assistant coach with Michigan State in 1995, and as a head coach with Marquette in 2007 and Indiana in 2008 and 2015.
But his teams have struggled on Maui against teams other than host Chaminade. With Georgia’s 80-61 loss to Dayton on Monday, Crean’s teams are 2-7 against Division I opposition here.
Bulldogs star freshman Anthony Edwards was held to six points on 2-for-10 shooting against the Flyers.
BYU shoots 62% in blowout
BYU worked its motion offense to near perfection to shoot 62% in running away from UCLA, 78-63, in Monday’s nightcap, earning a matchup with No. 4 Kansas in today’s second semifinal.
The Cougars (4-2) of the West Coast Conference converted seemingly every bucket late, making 10 of 13 shots to turn a tie game into a 20-point lead on the Pac-12’s traditional power.
“This is a fun gym to play in. These rims are soft,” said senior Jake Toolson, the 2018-19 WAC player of the year at Utah Valley who took a graduate transfer to Provo. “It feels like a high school gym. We feel like we can get great shots, the best shots, open shots.”
MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL DAY 2
Today at Lahaina Civic Center
Consolation semifinal 1: Georgia (4-1) vs. No. 3 Michigan State (3-2), 9:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
Consolation semifinal 2: Chaminade (2-1) vs. UCLA (4-2), noon (ESPNU)
Semifinal 1: Dayton (4-0) vs. Virginia Tech (6-0), 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Semifinal 2: No. 4 Kansas (4-1) vs. BYU (4-2) 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that it was second-year Georgia coach Tom Crean’s first year with the Bulldogs.
