STANFORD, Calif. – The Vanguard women's basketball team unofficially got the season going Wednesday night as the Lions took on NCAA Division I superpower Stanford. The Cardinal entered the contest ranked number two in the nation and they eventually rounded into that form, putting up a 102-25 victory.

What Happened?  Vanguard had its best quarter in the first period, as the squad did not seem too far off a national title contender. Halle Si'i (FR/Long Beach, CA) made the first shot on the first VU possession and Airiana Madanski (JR/Gilbert, AZ) nailed a three-pointer to put the Lions ahead 5-2. Back came Stanford though, and over two minutes later, the hosts had a lead again at 6-5. The Cardinal would not relinquish that lead the rest of the way, but the Blue and Gold did end a seven-minute cold spell, as Estefania Giner (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico) banked in a second-chance layup. Si'i then knocked down a deep three to cut the gap to 16-10 with 50 seconds left in the first to give VU some energy. But Stanford made a three in response to take a 19-10 lead in the second frame.

Giner got the Lions on the board first in the second and she added in two more later in the period to nab the only field goals for the lineup in the frame. Si'i also chipped in on two free throws but that was all the scoring for VU, as the team trailed 43-17 at the half. 

The final two quarters got away from the Lions defensively, as the Cardinal finally got into a flow. Sarah Matossian (SO/Laguna Niguel, CA) made the only points of the third on a nice layup to collect her first two points as a Lion.  Lauren Baumgartner (SR/Meridian, ID) made her first three of the year in the fourth and Madanski knocked down her second of the game with 25 seconds to go in the game.

The final score might have been lopsided at 102-25, but that does not show some of the little things that went well for the Lions. The defense came out strong in the first half considering the quality of the opponent. Si'i looked like she could hang with the DI crowd on some trips down the court and Matossian led the team with six rebounds. The returners had 16 of the 25 points, with Giner stepping up with seven. The team will forget the final score but will take the memories and experiences of playing on the same court as some of the best in the NCAA.

What's Next?  The Lions will drive to Berkeley and take on the Golden Bears of Cal on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.