BERKELEY, Calif. – Halle Si'i (FR/Long Beach, CA) and Lauren Baumgartner (SR/Meridian, ID) scored 12 points apiece as the Vanguard women's basketball team competed hard against Pac-12 foe Cal in an 80-58 exhibition loss at Haas Pavilion Thursday.
Airiana Madanski (JR/Gilbert, AZ) chipped in 11 points, while Sarah Matossian (SO/Laguna Niguel, CA) had nine points, seven rebounds and four assists. Estefania Giner (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico) played all 40 minutes and finished with seven points and a team-high nine rebounds.
The Lions shot 37.7 percent (20-of-53) from the field, with 12 of their 20 field goals coming from distance. The Golden Bears shot 56.4 percent overall, hitting 11-of-21 from three-point land.
Jayda Curry led Cal with a game-high 30 points. She knocked down 10-of-13 floor shots, including 8-of-10 from beyond the arc.
What Happened?: The Golden Bears scored the first 11 points in the game before a Si'i free throw put VU on the board. Alexa Silva (SO/Lemoore, CA) drained VU's first field goal, a three-pointer that cut Cal's lead to 13-4 at the 3:50 mark. Si'i made a jumper with five seconds remaining as the Lions trailed 20-7 after one period.
The Lions outscored Cal by one point in the second quarter thanks to some solid three-point shooting. Matossian, Si'i and Madanski all sank triples as VU pulled within 31-20 with 2:16 remaining in the first half. Si'i hit another shot as VU reduced the deficit to single digits, but Curry's three-pointer gave Cal the 34-22 halftime lead.
The Golden Bears hit six of their first 10 shots to begin the second half and opened up a 22-point lead at 49-27 midway through the third quarter. But the Lions fought back, making six of their last eight shots to outscore Cal 13-9 over the final three and a half minutes. VU trailed 60-42 entering the final quarter.
VU connected for triples on three consecutive possessions – Baumgartner, Giner and Matossian the beneficiaries – keeping the squad in striking distance at 64-51 with 7:07 to go. However, VU could not make up any further ground.
What's Next?: The regular season opener for the Lions is Wednesday, November 9 at Bethesda. Tip time is 4:45 p.m.
