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Chaminade wounded but ready

Matt Mahar doesn’t want to hear about any of the problems the Hawaii basketball team has entering Saturday’s exhibition game.

Mahar is dealing with more than his share of issues as head coach of the Chaminade basketball team.

The Warriors will host the Division II Silverswords in an exhibition game at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center. It will be the first public action for both teams, although the results and statistics will not count.

“We’re on an island in Hawaii and there’s four college teams here, so anytime we get a chance to play anyone here its kind of a big thing just because we’re on a small island,” Chaminade senior guard Steven Bennett said. “Them being right down the street and being the only Division I team, it makes it a pretty big game.”

But the Silverswords will not be at full strength. Four projected starters have not been able to practice this week due to injuries.

Bennett, a dynamic 5-foot-6 point guard, is probable with an ankle injury. He led Chaminade last season with 18.0 points and 5.0 assists per game.

“We’re pretty banged up right now,” Mahar said. “So we’re trying to get our guys back healthy.”

In addition to Bennett, guards DeAndre Haskins and Chandler Pearson, and 7-foot center Mamadou Diarra have all been kept out of practices this week.

If anything, the Silverswords are a little familiar with the Sheriff Center and a few of the Hawaii players. Hawaii defeated Chaminade, 70-61, last season in a game that the Silverswords led by 13 at halftime. Several of the Chaminade players also play frequent pick-up games with the Warriors on the UH campus during the offseason.

“That was last year, they have a whole new team now this year and we have a whole new team, so the chemistry and everything is different,” said senior forward Shane Hanson, who scored 18 points in the loss at UH last season. “And we got a bunch of guys hurt, so it’ll be interesting.”

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