COSTA MESA, Calif. – In a back-and-forth battle featuring 14 ties and 21 lead changes, Life Pacific outlasted the Vanguard men's basketball team, 93-90, in two overtimes on Saturday night at The Pit.
The Warriors improved to 6-11 overall and 3-7 in the Golden State Athletic Conference, while the Lions dropped to 14-7 and 6-4 in conference play.
Life Pacific was effective with the three ball, making 12 in 26 attempts for 47.1 percent. The Lions struggled from deep as they hit just 8 of 27, 29.6 percent.
VU also shot 44.8 percent (30 of 67) overall from the field, while LPU countered at 47.1 percent (33 of 70).
The Lions lost despite shooting eight more free throw attempts than the Warriors. Vanguard finished the game 22 of 30 from the charity stripe, 73.3 percent.
Center Andre Allen (SR/Los Angeles, CA) made his first career start as a Lion and turned in his best statistical game yet with a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds in 36 minutes – all career-highs.
Forward James Moore (SR/Talco, TX) was outstanding in 38 minutes of action, scoring 18 points on 6 of 8 shooting. He added eight rebounds and sank all six of his free throw attempts.
Nico Dasca (JR/Costa Mesa, CA) led the bench with 12 points, including a dramatic game-tying three with 0.7 seconds remaining in the first overtime.
Masie Mohammadi (SR/San Carlos, CA) and Phillip Willis (JR/San Diego, CA) each scored 10 points.
The Lions were without leading scorer Garrett White (SR/Post Falls, ID) for the third straight game.
There were 51 fouls called in the game, 29 on Life Pacific. Six players fouled out, three on each team.
Austin Cook led Life Pacific with 22 points and seven rebounds. He logged a game-high 47 minutes. Kyler Villarreal and Kofi Aboagye also were instrumental in the victory with 18 points apiece.
What Happened?: Neither team led by more than four points over the final 18 minutes and 26 seconds of the game in which there were several moments where it looked like the Lions might get over the hump.
The game was tied seven times over the final eight minutes of regulation.
Isaac Davis (SR/Valencia, CA) knotted the game at 66-66 with a layup and put the Lions ahead by two with a jumper, but Cook's layup tied the game at 68-68 with 1:49 to go.
After Willis missed a three-pointer, Davis fouled out with 1:22 remaining. Pedro Leal-Cruz made both free throws to put LPU up 70-68.
Moore created great position down low, hit a layup while getting fouled and converted the free throw to give the Lions a 71-70 lead with 1:02 to play.
But Willis fouled Leal-Cruz with 38 ticks on the clock. He made the first to tie the game and missed the second, managing to snag the offensive rebound. However, Mohammadi picked his pocket and the Lions called timeout to draw up a play.
Jordan Caruso (JR/New York, NY)'s game-winning attempt from three was blocked as the teams headed into the extra period.
The Lions forged ahead by four – their largest lead of the game – on Allen's layup with 3:02 to go. Down 78-74, the Warriors refused to fold and charged back as Jimmy Rodriguez completed an 8-0 spurt with a layup at the 0:28 mark.
Dasca buried a jumper to cut the deficit to 82-80 with 12 seconds left. With nine seconds remaining, Life Pacific's Ethan Galang was fouled and made 1-of-2 free throws for an 83-80 lead.
Jon Scherer (JR/Mission Viejo, CA) rebounded Galang's miss and VU called timeout with 7.6 seconds on the clock.
This time the Lions put the ball in the hands of Willis, who drove to the right side and found Dasca at the top of the key. Dasca took one dribble, stepped back and nailed a 23-foot three-pointer to tie the game and send the Lion faithful into a frenzy with 0.8 remaining.
LPU's desperation heave missed and the teams went into the second extra period tied at 83-83.
It appeared as if the momentum had shifted thanks to Dasca's heroics, and Mohammadi opened the scoring with a jumper to hand VU an 85-83 lead.
Moore drew back-to-back charges on Villarreal and Aboagye as the Lions looked to extend the lead. But the Lions missed a layup on one possession and a free throw on another, failing to convert after Rodriguez was assessed a technical foul following the second charge.
That opened the door for Aboagye's dagger three from the corner. Willis fouled out contesting the attempt and Aboagye hit the free throw for the four-point play and an 87-85 LPU lead.
Moore snuck inside and got open for a layup on a nice pass from Allen to even the score at 87-87 with 2:08 to go.
On the next possession, Cook fouled Allen on a scrum for a rebound. Allen made 1-of-2 free throws for an 88-87 Lion lead. VU forced a miss from Aboagye, but Derrick Anthony cleaned up the carom for the putback as the Warriors retook the lead at 89-88.
After Dasca missed a jumper, VU stiffened on defense as Scherer blocked Aboagye's attempt to send VU the other way. Allen got position down low and drew a foul on Anthony, calmly sinking both free throws for an 90-89 Lion advantage.
Undeterred, Aboagye weaved his way through the paint for a layup with 24 ticks left and a 91-90 lead.
Dasca responded with a wide open look from three but his shot went wide right and out of bounds off of a Lion.
Cook was fouled on the inbounds play and made both free throws for a three-point LPU edge.
The Lions called their final timeout in hopes of sending the game to a third overtime, but Scherer's three-point attempt from the left side missed as the Warriors pulled out the 93-90 victory.
Why Is It Important?: Vanguard missed an opportunity to keep pace with the top three teams in the GSAC standings – William Jessup, Hope International and Arizona Christian – but lost ground as the second round of conference play began.
What Was Said?: "I'm proud of the way our guys dug in during the second half in key stretches to get us back in the game," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "Life Pacific played a complete game. They shot 50 percent in the second half, hit big shots at key moments and even as the smaller team, they really were the better team on the glass. Credit them for being more together and having stronger purpose at both ends of the floor. We will learn from this setback and I know our guys will respond next week on the road."
What's Next?: The schedule doesn't get any easier as Vanguard eyes a tough northern California roadtrip. The Lions take on Menlo College on Thursday, January 27 at 7:30 p.m.
