SAN DIMAS, Calif. – Free throw and three-point shooting plagued the Vanguard men's basketball team in Saturday's 64-61 loss to Life Pacific inside Mehl Court.
The Lions missed 13 free throw attempts, shooting 45.8 (11-of-24) percent from the charity stripe for the game. They also shot 2-of-19 from three-point territory.
Life Pacific countered with 12 three-point makes – on 38 attempts. Vanguard held a 42-10 edge in points in the paint, but could not overcome self-inflicted wounds at the free throw line.
VU fell to 2-1 on the season, while Life Pacific remained undefeated at 7-0.
Jackson Larsen (JR/El Cajon, CA) led the Lions with a team-best 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He added eight rebounds, an assist and a steal in 24 quality minutes.
Garrett White (SR/Post Falls, ID) added 14 points, but was 0-for-4 from three-point range and 2-for-5 at the foul line. Phillip Willis (SR/San Diego, CA) scored 10 points to go along with six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Isaac Davis (SR/Valencia, CA) tied for game-high honors with seven assists, but struggled with his shot, finishing 1-for-11 overall.
Making their season debuts were Nico Dasca (SR/Costa Mesa, CA) and Jacob Brown (JR/El Dorado Hills, CA). Dasca made one of VU's two threes and finished with seven points in 18 minutes. Brown had a bucket, three rebounds and a steal in nine minutes.
VU committed eight less miscues than Life Pacific (19-11), and both teams scored 15 points off of those turnovers.
Austin Cook posted a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double while Kyler Villarreal chipped in 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Warriors.
What Happened?: Neither team led by more than four points during the second half. The Lions led 59-58 on White's jumper with 3:07 to go, but managed just two more points – a Larsen layup with five ticks on the clock – the rest of the way.
The Lions misfired from three on three consecutive possessions that would have tied the game after holding the Warriors to just one field goal over the final four minutes.
Cook scored six of Life Pacific's final eight points.
Getting to the rim at will, the Lions blazed to a 9-0 lead just over three minutes into the game. Two free throws from Willis created a 12-3 advantage as the Warriors opened the game 1-for-7 from the field.
After scoring just three points six and half minutes in, Life Pacific suddenly discovered its rhythm and reeled off 12 straight points to take a 15-12 lead. The Lions went nearly six minutes without scoring a point until Willis knocked down a trey to tie the score at 15-15.
The Warriors opened up a five-point advantage at 28-23 on Albert Matute's three with 3:08 left in the first half, but the Lions went on a 7-0 run to retake the lead at 30-28.
Matute hit another three to give his side a one-point lead, but Dasca sank a buzzer beater from near half court to give the Lions the 33-31 boost at halftime.
The two teams exchanged nine lead changes during the second half, but the Lions came up short down the stretch.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions lost their first GSAC opener in nearly five years. VU's last loss in an opener was on January 3, 2018, to Hope International.
What Was Said?: "Tonight was a tough one for our group. We talked about how good this Life Pacific team is and that it would take everything to beat them on the road," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "I'm bummed for our guys because I think they really did empty the tank to get it done. But anytime you go 2 for 19 from three and 11 for 24 at the line, you're not going to beat a good team. Credit LPU for making some big plays down the stretch to turn the game in their favor. Despite our poor offensive performance, we were still in position to win the game because we forced 19 turnovers with our defensive effort. We will learn from this and be better for it."
What's Next?: The Lions host their annual Thanksgiving Tournament next week at Orange Coast College. VU plays La Sierra on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
