EL CAJON, Calif. – The No. 19 Vanguard women's basketball team dominated in all facets to defeat 25th-ranked Rocky Mountain, 69-47, at the San Diego Christian Tournament on Saturday at Grossmont College.
Point guard Halle Si'i (FR/Long Beach, CA) had a terrific game with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-3 from distance. She added four rebounds, six assists and a steal.
Backcourt mate Lauren Baumgartner (SR/Meridian, ID) poured in 15 points on 5-of-8 from the field. She hit three of her four attempts from beyond the arc to go along with six rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Forward Sarah Matossian (SO/Laguna Niguel, CA) contributed nine points – all on three-point buckets – and pulled down six boards.
The Lions had 17 assists on 24 buckets, shooting 51.1 (24-of-47) percent overall and knocking down 10-of-20 from three-point land.
Defensively, VU limited Rocky Mountain to just 34.7 (17-of-49) percent shooting for the game.
Kloie Thatcher led the Battlin' Bears with 11 points and Dominique Stephens had 10.
The Lions (2-0) avenged a 73-57 defeat to the Battlin' Bears at last season's Cactus Classic in Scottsdale, Ariz.
What Happened?: The Lions broke out to a 5-0 lead on two Si'i free throws and a Matossian three-pointer.
Si'i was dominant with 13 of VU's 16 points in the quarter, shooting 4-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 at the foul line. Her three-pointer with 3:30 remaining gave the Lions a 12-8 lead. VU eventually settled for a 16-15 lead at the end of the first period.
Baumgartner and Estefania Giner (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico) carried the load in the second quarter, accounting for 16 of the team's 17 points as VU led 33-27 at halftime. Baumgartner scored eight straight points to help VU build a 27-20 lead with 3:38 to go.
Giner followed with back-to-back buckets as VU earned its largest lead at the time, 31-23, with 1:19 left before the break.
Baumgartner sank two free throws to maintain VU's eight point lead, but Rocky Mountain's Morgan Baird made a layup with one second remaining as the Lions settled for the six-point advantage.
Si'i, Baumgartner and Giner combined for 29 of VU's 33 points in the first half. VU shot 50.0 (11-of-22) percent through the first 20 minutes, including 4-of-9 from distance. The Lions held the Battlin' Bears to 37.5 (9-of-24) shooting from the field.
VU succeeded in putting Rocky Mountain into an insurmountable hole with its third quarter performance. The Lions turned in their best defensive effort as Rocky managed just six points on 3-for-14 shooting.
Melissa Akullu (JR/Kampala, Uganda) scored two of her seven points on a layup to increase VU's lead to double digits for the first time at 37-27. VU sent Rocky's offense into hibernation over the final 5:21, outscoring the Battlin' Bears 10-0 to finish the third period with a 51-33 lead. Matossian drained a three with one second remaining.
In the final quarter, Rocky tried to mount a comeback, making five of its first seven shots. However, the Battlin' Bears could not put a dent in the deficit as Matossian, Madanski and Baumgartner drilled treys on three straight possessions, extending the lead to 62-43 with 5:23 remaining.
Si'i applied the exclamation point with five straight points to cement the rout as VU owned its largest lead of the game at 69-45. The Blue and Gold held Rocky to just two points over the final five minutes to win comfortably by 22.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions held a ranked opponent to its lowest scoring output since defeating No. 14 Westmont, 59-46, on Feb. 9, 2019.
What Was Said?: "Super proud of our ladies today," said Head Coach Russ Davis. "We took on a top 25 team on the road and played well as a team. This team really shares the ball. We still have a lot to work on but, they responded today with some challenges and some accountability, and really shined. It's a very good start and I look forward to seeing some fans next week as we play our first GSAC game next Saturday."
What's Next?: The Lions began Golden State Athletic Conference play on Nov. 19 at Life Pacific. Tip time is 5:30 p.m. The VU men follow at 7:30 p.m.
