COSTA MESA, Calif. - The twelfth-ranked Vanguard Lions Women's Basketball (5-2, 2-2) welcomed the fourth-ranked Westmont Warriors (6-1, 3-0) to Bill and Shirley Reynolds Court on Tuesday evening in a matchup of two teams that habitually rank in the NAIA Top-25 Polls. Tonight it would be the visitors that would get the better of the Pride as they earned a 64-45 victory to stay perfect in conference play.
What Happened? Gabriela Rosas (JR/Chihuahua, Mexico) and Michaella Elad (SR/Ontario, CA) scored 10 of the Lions' 17 first-quarter points as the Pride held a slight six-point advantage early in the first quarter. Tanna Decker (FR/Camp Verde, AZ) would hit some timely threes in the second as the low scoring affair continued on in the second quarter as the Blue and Gold would head to the halftime break up 25-24. The tide would start to turn late in the third quarter as the Warriors held the Lions scoreless in the last three minutes and twenty-nine seconds of the third quarter, going on a 10-0 run to pull ahead by seven. Westmont would finally break through in the fourth as they shot 60% from the field and from beyond the arc in the last ten minutes. They would lean on Stefanie Berberabe throughout the contest as she dropped 28 points on 12-14 shooting from the field to earn the 64-45 win.
Why It's Important? The Lion's all-time record against the Warriors fell to 39-16 with the loss tonight. Gabrielle Rosas was two points off of her season average which currently sits as the 37th highest mark in the nation.
Top Performers: Gabriela Rosas was the top scorer for the Lions as she recorded 16 points and six rebounds. Michaella Elad had a near double-double as she had eight points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Lauren Baumgartner (SO/Meridian, ID) recorded six points, six assists, and four rebounds.
What They Said: Head Coach Russ Davis - "We had a great start tonight against who I think is the best team in the country in Westmont. We didn't have an answer for Bergerac; she dominated us offensively and foul trouble really hurt us. We are excited to get two more chances against them this weekend."
What's Next: A rematch of tonight's contest up at Westmont on Friday, February 19th at 4:30 p.m.
#ClawsUp
