ROCKLIN, Calif. – Garrett White (SR/Post Falls, ID) scored a game-high 24 points, but shooting struggles beset the rest of the Vanguard men's basketball team in a 75-58 loss at William Jessup's Warrior Arena on Thursday night.
VU helped Jessup end its three-game losing streak, as the Warriors improved to 6-5 overall and 2-1 in the Golden State Athletic Conference. The Lions fell to 3-3 overall, and are 0-2 in league play for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
White added 10 rebounds to secure his first double-double of the season. He shot 11-of-20 from the field. The 11 other Lions who saw the court combined to shoot 11-of-45, 24.4 percent. The VU bench scored six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
VU made just 4-for-23 (17.4%) from the three-point line. VU has shot under 20 percent from three in all three of its losses.
Phillip Willis (SR/San Diego, CA) had 12 points to go along with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. He sank all four of his free throw attempts but was just 2-of-9 from distance.
Isaac Davis (SR/Valencia, CA) posted a game-high six assists along with five rebounds and a steal, but had a 1-for-11 night from the floor.
The Lions also committed a season-high 18 turnovers – and the Warriors capitalized – turning those miscues into 24 points.
The Lions missed loads of open looks over the course of the game – and despite the double-digit loss – held the GSAC's second-leading scorer, Cashemin Williams, to 12 points, eight below his season average.
The Warriors didn't exactly scorch the nets either, finishing at 44.8 (26-of-58) percent overall, including 29.4 (10-of-34) percent from three-point range.
VU had no answers for WJU center Charlie Garrison, who scored a team-best 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting. He added 11 rebounds and pushed the Lions around inside all game long.
Warrior reserve Jahveon Medearis also gave VU fits, scoring 12 first half points. He came in averaging 3.9 points per game.
What Happened?: For the third time in six games, the Lions opened up a game with a 9-0 lead, but failed to sustain momentum and eventually lost.
Willis scored seven of VU's first nine points as the visiting side led 9-0 four minutes in. The Lions forced WJU into an 0-for-6 start from the floor and three early turnovers.
The Warriors finally got on the board at the 15:30 mark via a Ty Artis three-pointer. However, VU created more separation as three straight White jumpers extended the lead to double-digits at 17-5 with 10:50 on the clock.
WJU regrouped out of a timeout and put Medearis to work. He scored 10 of the next 16 points for the Warriors to cut the VU lead to 25-24.
Jordan Adams canned a triple to complete a 22-8 Warrior run, giving the home team its first lead at 27-25 with 4:38 left in the first half.
Preston Sims (JR/Orange, CA) answered with a three of his own as VU reclaimed the lead at 29-27. But layups from Garrison, Williams and Myles Corey handed the Warriors a 33-31 halftime lead.
White had a nifty tip-in off his own miss with five ticks remaining to cut the deficit to two. He scored 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the first half.
After missing its first six shots, WJU made 13 of its next 23 attempts to dig out of the early double-digit hole.
White and Sims got inside the lane for buckets as VU took a 35-33 lead just a minute into the second half.
Over the next five minutes, VU missed seven straight shots and committed four turnovers. The Lions labored through nearly a six-minute scoring drought before Mitchell Prevost (JR/Tuolumne, CA) banked in a jumper at the 13:23 mark.
At that point, the Lions trailed just 39-37 as the Warriors were experiencing their own scoring difficulties, beginning the second half with five straight misses from three.
Corey, Williams and Artis missed another batch of three-point attempts, giving the Lions more opportunity to take advantage.
But the Lion drought ultimately lasted 12 minutes, making just one field goal over that span. VU missed 13 of 14 shots during that stretch, with the lone exception being the Prevost bucket.
Jessup eventually took control, going on a 21-6 run to hand the Lions a 54-41 deficit with 7:02 to play, as Corey's three opened up the 13-point gap.
VU fought back with seven straight points to pull within six. Jackson Larsen (JR/El Cajon, CA) scored five straight and White's jumper trimmed the deficit to 54-48.
The Blue and Gold remained within striking distance as another White bucket made the score 56-50 with 4:44 to play. But it took the Warriors less than a minute to have the Lions staring at a 64-51 deficit as a Garrison jumper, and consecutive triples from Williams and Nigel McKay put them away.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions are one of only two schools without a win in GSAC play.
What's Next?: Things don't get any easier as VU makes the trek to the Bay Area to face Menlo on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The Oaks are one of six teams tied for first in the GSAC at 2-1.
