COSTA MESA, Calif. – No. 10 Arizona Christian utilized the deep ball and took advantage of 17 Vanguard miscues as the Lions fell 88-71 in Golden State Athletic Conference men's basketball action on Saturday at the ACU Events Center.
The Firestorm sank 11 three-pointers and outscored the Lions 24-5 in points off turnovers in winning their eighth in a row, improving to 17-2 overall and 5-2 in the GSAC. Vanguard fell to 12-5 and 5-2 in conference play.
Christian Wilson (SR/Temecula, CA) tied his season best with a game-high 18 points, making 8 of his 13 floor shots. Isaac Davis (SR/Valencia, CA) scored 12 points to go along with five rebounds and four steals.
Garrett White (SR/Post Falls, ID) contributed 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting off the bench, and James Moore (SR/Talco, TX) finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Lions shot a solid 48.3 percent (28-of-58) from the field, but managed to make only 5-of-15 from distance. ACU shot 47.6 percent (30-of-63) overall, but hit six more threes than the Lions.
Five Firestorm scored in double figures, led by Angelo Johnson's 15 points. Dennis Flowers III had 14 points. Bryce Davis nearly posted a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.
What Happened?: The Lions trailed 45-29 at the break as ACU held a 16-2 advantage in points off turnovers. VU struggled to take care of the ball with 10 first-half turnovers while the Firestorm had only four.
Early threes by Phillip Willis (JR/San Diego, CA) and Masie Mohammadi (SR/San Carlos, CA) helped the Lions to a 6-5 lead. The Lions remained ahead by one at 12-11 on a pair of Garrett White free throws, but that would be their last lead of the game.
White knotted the score at 14-14 on a jumper, but the Firestorm used a 9-0 burst to take a 23-14 lead. White scored four more points to bring VU within 27-20 with 6:42 to go.
Robby Wilson's tip-in lengthened ACU's advantage to double digits for the first time, 31-20. A layup from Davis as time expired gave the Firestorm a 16-point cushion lead at the break.
Davis and Flowers III accounted for 21 of ACU's 45 points on a combined 9-of-12 shooting.
White, who missed Thursday's win at OUAZ, scored a team-best eight first half points for the Lions.
The Lions forced the Firestorm into misses on five of their first seven attempts to start the second half, and a Nico Dasca (JR/Costa Mesa, CA) triple with 15:29 to play narrowed ACU's lead to 52-45.
However, Johnson's three pushed the lead back to double digits.
Jordan Caruso (JR/New York, NY) made a layup and was fouled by Paul Hayden, converting the free throw for the traditional three-point play and a 58-51 ACU edge with 11:41 remaining.
ACU's lead hovered between seven and 11 points for the next several minutes, as the Lions struggled to make up further ground with the Firestorm matching them shot for shot.
The closest VU got was six points as Moore's two free throws made it 70-64 with 5:16 to go. But ACU scored eight of the next points and took command at 78-66 at just under the three minute mark.
ACU converted eight straight free throw attempts to prevent the Lions from any comeback.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions fell out of a tie for first place in the GSAC into a tie for second with the loss.
What Was Said?: "Credit ACU for having great focus and execution at home," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "They played a really good first half and that was the difference in the game. I'm proud of the heart our guys showed to come back and make it a game but we just ran out of gas. We will bounce back and are excited for two more important games next week."
What's Next?: Vanguard finishes off a three-game roadtrip next Thursday, January 13 at No. 25 Hope International. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m.
