COSTA MESA, Calif. – Vanguard University (4-1) completed its four-game slate against the University of Saint Katherine, by hosting the Firebirds (3-4) on Bill and Shirley Reynolds Court Saturday evening. The Lions built a sizable lead by halftime and ended with a 86-58 victory. The last time the Pride started the season with a 4-1 record was 2017-18.
What Happened? The first half slated the way of the Blue and Gold as they were shooting very well from the field. They poured in 6-9 from behind the arc which led to them scoring nine more points than USK in that category. The same could be said for their shooting from two-point range. Vanguard was an impressive 18-28 from the field which helped them manage a first half difference of 21 points with 78 second remaining. The Lions went into the locker room on top 47-31 thanks to Garrett White (JR/Post Falls, ID) recording a game-high 11 points.
After the intermission, the Pride continued to rain down shots from the perimeter as they shot 45% from downtown compared to only 12% for the Firebirds. The Lions outscored USK 39-27 in the final 20 minutes of play. Vanguard dominated the paint scoring 32 compared to only 28 for Saint Katherine, also besting them in second chance points. The depth of the Pride showed tonight as they tallied 37 points from their reserves. In total, 11 of the 16 players who suited up recorded a basket.
Why Its Important? In a rare feat due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Lions played four consecutive games against the same opponent – winning three of the four. All of the games looked and felt drastically different surprisingly. The theme of common opponents will continue as Vanguard will set its sights on three straight against the Warriors of Westmont (2-2). Last year, the Blue and Gold dropped both games against Westmont, by a combined 10 points.
Notable Performances: Phillip Willis (SO/San Diego, CA) and White tied for a team high with 13 points each – shooting a combined 5-6 from distance. James Moore (SR/Talco, TX) tallied 10 points and five rebounds in only 16 minutes of play. Isaac Davis (JR/Valencia, CA) recorded six point, six rebounds, and eight assists to guide the offense for the Blue and Gold. Masie Mohammadi (JR/San Carlos, CA) poured in nine as well.
What They Said: Isaac Davis - "I think we did a great job preparing tonight by just staying consistent and trusting in one another. And the coaches did a really great job preparing us for this game through our practices they have been pushing us hard every day even though our bodies have been hurting. We got it done."
What's Next: Tuesday, February 9th against Westmont College at 7:00 p.m.
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