COSTA MESA – The Vanguard men's basketball team battled hard for 40 minutes but could not overcome 50 percent shooting from Antelope Valley, falling 83-70 to the Pioneers in the Thanksgiving Classic at Orange Coast College Friday.
Isaac Davis (SR/Valencia, CA) had a team-high 20 points – his third 20-point effort in four games – to go along with six rebounds, three assists and one steal. Phillip Willis (SR/San Diego, CA) added 16 points and Jackson Larsen (JR/El Cajon, CA) finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Lions shot 38.0 percent from the field, and struggled from distance for the second straight game, making just three of 16 from three.
Antelope Valley got a game-high 22 points from Michael Hayes and 15 from Andrew Lewis. Aaris Bonds also recorded a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Pioneers knocked down 31 of their 62 field goal attempts and shot 75 (15-of-20) percent from the foul line.
UAV improved to 5-0 on the season, while the Lions dropped to 2-2.
What Happened?: For the second straight game, the Lions jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but once again could not sustain the momentum.
The Lions ballooned the lead to double-digits, going up 18-7 on a Bryson Metz (FR/Vancouver, WA) triple with 13:13 to go in the first half. The Pioneers responded with back-to-back threes from Malachi Coleman and Lewis to close within five at 18-13, but back-to-back buckets by Davis and Jacob Brown (JR/El Dorado Hills, CA) pushed the VU lead to 22-13.
Hayes and Lewis combined for 10 of UAV's next 12 points, whittling VU's lead to 28-27 with 6:23 remaining.
The Pioneers grabbed their first lead at 35-34 with 2:32 left, and kept the pressure on, completing a 10-0 run to go up 39-34 with 22 ticks on the clock. Willis knocked down two free throws to cut the VU deficit to three, but Bonds drained a triple as time expired to send the Pioneers to the locker room with a 42-36 halftime lead.
Hayes scored 16 of his 22 points in the first half.
VU missed six of its first seven shots and fell into a 13-point hole just five and a half minutes into the second half. Lewis hit a jumper to give the Pioneers a 54-41 lead at the 14:25 mark.
The Lions fought back to get within eight on two occasions, both on Willis and Brown jumpers, but consecutive three-pointers by Tyler Murrell and Coleman provided UAV its biggest lead of the game at 65-49 with 9:02 remaining.
VU trailed by double-digits the remainder of the contest as UAV hit its final three shots and six straight free throws down the stretch.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions could not overcome an aggressive Pioneer squad which shot 54 percent in the second half.
What Was Said?: "We came out with a great start and executed our plan early in the game," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "Credit UAV with asserting their will as the game went on. They transitioned hard to offense and put pressure on the rim. Offensively, we got sped up and took shots quicker than we wanted to which only increased their transition opportunities. We will bounce back tomorrow and be better."
What's Next?: A split schedule for day two of the Thanksgiving Classic as the Orange Coast College women's volleyball team will be hosting a playoff match at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Antelope Valley and Corban will play at 1:00 p.m. Vanguard will host La Sierra later that evening at 8:00 p.m.
