COSTA MESA – No. 10 Vanguard (1-0) opened the 2021-22 women's basketball season making 18 three-pointers and getting 28 points and 17 rebounds from Melissa Akullu (JR/Kampala, Uganda), coasting to a 102-32 victory over Bethesda (0-1) on Tuesday night at The Pit.
It is the most points for a Lion team in a season opener since the 2018-19 squad dropped 116 on Westcliff. The 18 threes is tied for No. 3 on the school's single-game list, matching the output against La Sierra on Nov. 8, 2018.
Akullu made 14-of-25 from the floor en route to her 28 point effort. Eight of her 17 boards came on the offense end as the Lions enjoyed a 25-2 edge in second chance points. The junior added seven steals and a pair of blocks as Vanguard's swarming defense limited Bethesda to just 10 first half points and 29.5 percent (13-of-44) shooting for the game.
Michaella Elad (SR/Ontario, CA) flirted with a triple-double as she finished with 14 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists in 29 minutes. In her collegiate debut, Alexa Silva (FR/Lemoore, CA) notched 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting from three-point land. Airiana Madanski (SO/Gilbert, AZ) knocked down four threes en route to an 18-point night.
Vanguard shot 50.6 percent (42-of-83) for the game, including 54.5% from distance.
What Happened?: After allowing Bethesda's Erianna Gowdy to score the game's opening basket 34 seconds into the game, Vanguard clamped down and held the Flames scoreless for nearly nine minutes in the first quarter. The Lions reeled off 21 straight points to take a 21-2 lead with 1:19 remaining – the run ending on a Madanski triple. Madanski finished with 11 points as VU took a 24-6 lead after the first quarter.
In the second period, the Flames again went into an extended drought, going scoreless until Kaitlin Romancito hit a shot with 2:43 remaining. Vanguard went on a 23-0 run and led by 41 points, 47-6, on an Akullu layup. Akullu scored the final eight points of the quarter for VU to give the Lions a 47-10 lead at the break.
Lauren Baumgartner (JR/Meridian, ID) hit a three-point bomb to open the third quarter to put the Lions up by 40. VU extended the advantage to 50 at 67-17 on a Gabriela Rosas (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico) three with 4:02 remaining. Hannah Monty (JR/Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) and Silva hit back-to-back threes to close out the period as VU's lead lengthened to 75-21.
The Lions went on a three-point spree in the final quarter, with Silva providing five of her team's seven. The lead eventually grew to 71 points, the largest lead of the game for Vanguard as Akullu closed out the scoring with a layup.
Why Is It Important?: Eight of the nine Lions who played got into the scoring column in a solid all-around performance. VU showed off its rebounding prowess, owning a 59-10 cushion on the glass.
What Was Said?: "I thought we did a lot of good things, but we haven't had a scrimmage or an exhibition so that was our first time playing," said Head Coach Russ Davis. "We were rusty with some things, but we've got a lot of young kids out there who performed well. We've got quite an inside game, so it's going to be hard to take those guys away and our shooters. We shot the ball well today and that was nice to see."
What's Next: Vanguard returns to action against Saint Katherine on Saturday, Nov. 6 in The Pit. Tip time is 5:00 p.m.
