SANTEE, Calif. – Clutch defensive plays down the stretch and a season-high 26 points from Gabriela Rosas (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico) lifted the Vanguard women's basketball team to a 62-57 road victory over San Diego Christian on Saturday evening.
Vanguard improved to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in Golden State Athletic Conference play. The Hawks fell to 4-8 and 1-4 in the conference.
The Lions overcame a tough shooting night as leading scorer Melissa Akullu (SO/Kampala, Uganda) finished with just two points on 0-of-6 from the field. Akullu entered the game No. 1 in the GSAC with 21.5 points per game. Lauren Baumgartner (JR/Meridian, ID) also struggled with her shot, hitting 2-of-16 from the floor including 0-of-8 from three-point range. However, the guard did pull down nine rebounds and only committed one turnover in 25 minutes of action.
Rosas missed tying her career-high by one point as she tallied 27 against San Diego Christian in the 2020-21 season opener. Rosas provided the boost the Lions desperately needed with 10-of-21 shooting, including a pair of threes. Her previous season-best was 11 points. With the Lions in a tight battle throughout, she accounted for 21 of Vanguard's 38 points in the second half.
Despite the offensive struggles, Akullu recorded a pair of key blocked shots late in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win. She also grabbed seven of her team-high 10 boards in the final period as the Hawks missed seven of their last nine field goal attempts.
What Happened?: After trailing by as many as eight points in the first half, the Lions took a 41-38 lead into the fourth period. Rosas scored VU's first seven points on a three-pointer and a pair of layups, but San Diego Christian's Isabel Feller nearly matched her with six of her own to keep it a one possession game.
Maddison Zugna's layup put the Hawks up 49-48 with 5:57 to go, but the Lions retook the lead for good on Alexa Silva (FR/Lemoore, CA)'s three-point bomb on the next possession.
Silva canned another huge three with 3:40 remaining to open up a five-point VU cushion, 55-50. The Hawks got a bucket from Madison Beckham to cut the deficit to 55-52 with 3:23 to play.
That's when Vanguard applied the defensive clamps as the Hawks went nearly three minutes without a point. Akullu swatted a pair of layup attempts from Cynnadie Whatley and Zugna while swarming the glass on every trip down the floor.
Baumgartner's bucket with 48 seconds left extended the Lion lead to 57-52, but the Hawks weren't finished as Feller's trey made it 57-55 with 34 ticks remaining. Baumgartner and Hannah Monty (JR/Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) each made one of two free throws for a 59-55 VU lead – and after Feller's layup made it 59-57 with eight seconds left – Baumgartner and Akullu combined to hit three of four from the line to seal the victory.
The Lions had a nightmarish start to the game, shooting 1 of 17 from the field in the first quarter as the Hawks led 11-7.
VU missed its first five attempts to start the second quarter and SDCC took advantage as Jamee Joseph's layup resulted in a 15-7 lead.
The Lions finally emerged from their slumber to knock down six of their next seven shots, going on a 14-2 run over a four minute, 19 second stretch to grab a 21-17 lead.
The Hawks scored six consecutive points to wrest the lead back, but Rosas converted a traditional three-point play with eight seconds left to hand the Lions a 24-23 lead at the break.
Why Is It Important?: Vanguard found a way to win despite shooting a season-low 30.9 percent (21-of-68) from the field. The Lions improved to 5-0 when holding their opponent under 60 points.
What Was Said?: "Rough shooting night for us as we started the game 1 for 24 and Melissa (Akullu) picked up two fouls again early," said Head Coach Russ Davis. "Found a way to win, but give San Diego Christian credit for making it tough on us. I've learned over my 26 years that road wins in the GSAC are not easy."
What's Next?: The Lions return to competition on Dec. 20-21 at the Cactus Challenge in Scottsdale, Ariz. They will face Rocky Mountain and St. Francis (Ill.) during the tournament.
