COSTA MESA, Calif. – The Vanguard Lions (8-3,4-2) welcomed the Royals to The Pit for the completion of the season series and the end of the six-game GSAC slate. Vanguard was pushed early by the scrappy, undermanned squad from Hope International (1-2,1-2) before cruising to an easy victory 107-59.
What Happened? The first bucket of the game was a basket by Phillip Willis (SO/San Diego, CA), but then nine of the next 11 points were scored by HIU forcing the Pride into a timeout. Dominic St. Leon (JR/McKinney, TX) tied the contest at 14-14 and once the Pride grabbed the lead back it was theirs for good. A first half lead of 16 points was recorded on Willis' triple, and the opening 20 minutes ended with a 39-26 lead for the Lions. In the second half, the offensive gates opened for Vanguard to the tune of 68 points. An Isaac Davis (JR/Valencia, CA) layup at the 15:14 mark pushed it to a 20-point lead and it moved to 30 points with just under eight minutes to go. The next milestone, forty points, was reached on an Aziz Seck (SR/Dakar, Senegal) lay in with 6:54 left. Down the stretch, the only thing left to be decided was whether the Pride would match the 110 points they scored on Thursday.
Why It's Important? The Blue and Gold has secured the title of GSAC West Division Champions and a berth at the 2021 NAIA National Championships. Due to a split in the conference throughout the season, Vanguard will receive one of the two automatic berths to the tournament. The 16 Opening Round sites will be announced in Early March.
Top Performers: Seck had his best game of the season with 24 points on an incredibly efficient 11-12 shooting from the field. Many of the baskets were set up by Davis were tallied seven assists to go along with his nine points. Garrett White (JR/Post Falls, ID) and Masie Mohammadi (JR/San Carlos, CA) each scored in double figures and combined to make four of the Pride's 12 three-pointers. All 16 players suited up and saw game action in the regular season finale for the Lions. Vanguard outscored HIU 50-16 in the paint and 23-4 off turnovers. A total of 42 points were scored off the bench for the Blue and Gold.
What They Said: Head Coach Rhett Soliday – "I'm really proud of this team. It's strange to say that we have won a share of the GSAC without getting to all participate in the marathon of a complete league season. However, I truly believe that this team is special. They have overcome so much to get to the court, like many teams, but have done it with an incredible spirit and with gratitude. But this team is different in the way they handle adversity and in the way they rally around each other. They are so fun to compete with and I can't wait for post season to begin."
What's Next: Saturday, January 27th at Cal Baptist at 6:00 p.m. (Exhibition)
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