CLAREMONT, Calif. – Garrett White (SR/Post Falls, ID) scored a game-high 27 points and the Vanguard men's basketball team shot 55 percent from the field, earning an 82-66 road victory over Pomona-Pitzer on Tuesday.
Isaac Davis (SR/Valencia, CA) added 21 points for his second consecutive 20-point game to start the season. The point guard flirted with a triple-double as he racked up eight rebounds and seven assists as well.
Phillip Willis (SR/San Diego, CA) collected 13 points, five rebounds and four assists in another solid all-around game. Preston Sims (JR/Orange, CA) rounded out the double-digit Lion scorers with 10 points.
White shot 12-of-22 from the floor and hit three treys. Davis was 3-of-3 from distance, helping the Lions shoot 8-of-18 (44.4%) from three-point territory.
The Lions edged the Sagehens in rebounds (33-31), assists (17-14) and made field goals (32-25). The two teams each made eight threes, but the Lions took 10 fewer attempts from distance.
What Happened?: The Lions jumped out to a 10-4 lead on a Davis three, but Peyton Mullarkey's trey completed a 9-2 run as the Sagehens went up 13-12.
The Lions retook the lead for good though on the next possession on White's jumper at the 14:13 mark. VU held the Sagehens to just four points over a four-minute stretch to stretch the lead to 24-17 on a Davis jumper.
Davis scored six straight points to help VU finish off an 8-2 run, creating its biggest advantage at nine points, 28-19, with 8:14 to go in the first half.
Pomona-Pitzer narrowed the gap to 30-27 on Hayden Moser's three, but the Lions limited the Sagehens to just one more bucket over the final four-plus minutes and took a 40-30 lead into halftime.
The Lions turned up the intensity in the second half and shot 61.5 percent to keep the Sagehens at bay. White and Willis combined for 14 points over a seven-minute stretch as VU maintained a double-digit lead at 58-47 with 10:21 remaining.
The Sagehens tried to get back into the game utilizing the three-point shot, but managed to make just 4-of-16 in the second half.
Meanwhile, the Lions made six of seven shots at one point, including a Davis three-point bucket that extended VU's lead to 67-53 with 6:58 on the clock.
White scored nine of VU's next 11 points as VU led 80-66 with 1:57 left, all but locking away the victory.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions have shot over 50 percent in both games and held their first two opponents to exactly 66 points in the two wins. Through two games, VU's senior trio of Davis, White and Willis have combined to score 125 of VU's 168 points.
What Was Said?: "I'm really proud of our guys for going on the road and winning a big game early," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "Pomona Pitzer is tough, talented and extremely well coached. They won 25 games last year and as defending SCIAC champs, they know how to protect their home floor with almost every piece returning. Our guys had to empty the tank to get it done and every time we felt we had breathing room, Pomona Pitzer made a push and never quit. As usual, our big three of Phillip, Garrett and Isaac had tremendous games, and our three starting guards (Preston, Isaac and Phil) combined for 19 rebounds. We've been challenging those guys to lead us on the glass and they did that tonight."
What's Next?: The Lions take on NCAA Division I Pepperdine for an exhibition game next Tuesday in Malibu. The game will tip at 7:00 p.m.
