SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – After a come-from-behind victory for Vanguard University (6-2,2-1), the (RV) Westmont College (4-4,1-2) would experience some deja vu as they watched a 17-point lead disappear late in the game. The Warriors' senior guard, Abram Carrasco, would drive the lane with just seconds left and lay it high off the glass and in to stave off the late comeback attempt by the Lions.
What Happened? An early 8-2 run for the Lions forced a timeout by Westmont who were then able to settle things down. Masie Mohammadi would pace the Pride with 10 early points on 3-5 shooting from deep, but, as was common with the last two matchups between these teams, both teams stayed neck and neck until the five-minute mark in the half. The Warriors would proceed to go on a 16-3 run, riding an avalanche of three's from five different players, to finish the half with a 46-36 advantage.
The Lions came out of the break with an inspired effort as they went on an 8-0 run out of the break to cut the deficit to two early in the second, but the Warriors shifted to a zone and forced four straight turnovers to push their lead back to 11. Westmont's hybrid zone continued to cause problems for the Blue and Gold as ten turnovers directly lead to 18 points for Westmont as their lead ballooned to 17 at the 13:39 mark in the second half.
The Lions would go on an 11-2 run to cut their deficit to 10, bringing about a sense of deja vu as the Warriors led by 11 at the half on Friday night before falling by two points. Mohammadi hit back to back threes, Aziz Seck hit two free-throws, and Nico Dasca knocked down a jumper to make it a three-point game as the Pride continued to mount their second-half comeback.
Garrett White hit two free-throws with 1:14 left in the game to give the Lions their first lead since the 5:57 mark in the first half, and would follow that up with a clutch offensive rebound late in the game, forcing Westmont to foul to stop the clock. Abram Carrasco would find a seam in the Lions' defense with just seconds left on the clock and would lay it high up and in off the glass to escape with a 79-78 win.
Why It's Important? The Lions concluded their three-game series with a Westmont team that had received votes nationally to be ranked in the top-25. After some fiercely competitive games, the Lions took the season series against the Warriors and will now take on Hope International for their next three games of conference play.
Top Performers: Isaac Davis finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two rebounds on 10-21 shooting from the floor to lead the Lions. Masie Mohammadi finished with 19 points and six rebounds as he knocked down six shots from beyond the arc. Nico Dasca would also reach double figures as he had 12 points on 6-8 shooting from the field.
What's Next: The Lions will start the first of a three-game series against Hope International on Tuesday, February 16th at home starting at 7:00 p.m.
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