Costa Mesa -- Golden State Athletic Conference women's basketball action continued in the Pit Saturday, as Vanguard and Menlo got together for the first time since the pandemic hit. The Lions were equal to the Oaks in the first quarter but a couple of big injuries derailed the momentum that VU had. Menlo pulled away and took a 70-56 win over the short-handed Lions, taking their record to 5-2 and 2-0 in the GSAC. VU falls to 3-1 and 1-1 in conference play.
What Happened? Menlo would score first but Michaella Elad (SR/Ontario, CA) took a pass down low and plopped the jumper in to knot the game at 2-2. Alexa Silva helped keep the Blue and Gold in the contest with a layup before Melissa Akullu put in two free throws to give VU its first lead of the game a 6-5. A dry spell for both teams kept the game close, as the Oaks had an 11-10 advantage with two minutes to go. Alyssa Salgado (JR/Whittier, CA) then drove and made a nifty layup as she was fouled, with the guard making the and-one shot to tie the score at 13-13. Two free throws from Elad put VU in the lead and the squad would take that 15-14 lead to the end of the first period.
Vanguard lost Estefania Giner (JR/Chihuahua, Mexico) to an injury in the first quarter and things got worse when Elad had to leave the game early in the second. Already down starting point guard Lauren Baumgartner (JR/Meridian, ID), the toll of those injuries seemed to pull the Lions down. Menlo pulled away in the second quarter, as the guests outscored the Lions 19-8 over the 10 minutes of action. The Oaks led 33-23 at the half.
Vanguard was able to recover slightly in the third by posting 16 points, as Akullu tried to keep the team in touch with MC. Silva buried a three as well but the Oaks ended the third ahead 59-39.
The Blue and Gold made up some ground over the course of the fourth quarter. Salgado got the team on the board with a free throw and Airiana Madanski (SO/Gilbert, AZ) drained a three to slice the lead to 59-43. Gabriela Rosas (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico) floated in a jump shot and Akullu continued to do her best in the paint, en route to another double-double. Hannah Monty (JR/Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) and Rosas closed out the scoring for Vanguard with a couple of shots each, as the Oaks never looked in danger of losing their lead, with the visitors taking the win 70-56.
Vanguard shot 32.3% for the game, going 23.5% from downtown, and going 10-13 from the free-throw line. The squad was outrebounded 46-29 in the game by the Oaks. Akullu had 20 points and 12 rebounds (4 O, 8 D) to lead those categories for the Lions. Madanski had nine points and Silva had eight. Salgado had a team-high four assists.
Why is it Important? The loss is the first time Menlo has won since they won both games in 2019. It also drops the team into third in the conference standings.
What was said? "Going into this game without our point guard, then losing our All-American post player, and the next play losing another top player, was a big blow," said Head Coach Russ Davis. "Never seen this in my entire career. Then Mel (Akullu) picked up three fouls. Not a good thing against a really good Menlo team. With that being said, my team played their hearts out and I'm so proud of them to stay close and only lose by 14 points. Plus, it was our worst shooting percentage game of the year. No excuses because Menlo is really good, and it would have been tough had our injured players been fully healthy. But, I love my team."
What's Next? The team will have time to heal as their next game is not until December 2, when the Lions will take on Life Pacific at 5:30 p.m. on the road.
