CHANDLER, Ariz. – A rough second half spelled doom for Vanguard in a 73-51 men's basketball loss to Montana State-Northern at the Cactus Classic on Monday morning.
The Lights turned up the proverbial dimmer switch, igniting a 23-7 run that turned a five-point deficit into an 11-point lead during a seven-minute span of the second half. Montana State-Northern torched the nets over the final 20 minutes, shooting 61.3 (19-of-31) percent and hitting nine of its 12 three-pointers in the second stanza.
Conversely, Vanguard went ice cold after halftime, shooting 26.7 (8-of-30) percent and managing just 2-of-13 efficiency from distance.
For the game, VU shot 33.3 (19-of-57) percent from the field, while the Lights checked in at 45.9 (28-of-61) percent.
Vanguard held MSUN to just 30.0 percent shooting in the first half, which enabled the Lions to take a 25-23 halftime lead. The Lights connected for just 3-of-13 from three in the first period, but finished 9-of-17 from beyond the arc in the second.
Garrett White (SR/Post Falls, ID) had a team-leading 10 points for the Lions, followed by Phillip Willis (SR/San Diego, CA) and Preston Sims (JR/Orange, CA) with nine apiece. In his first career start, Bryson Metz (FR/Vancouver, WA) finished with eight points and a career-high eight rebounds in 28 minutes.
Jesse Keltner led five Lights in double figures with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go along with a team-best eight rebounds. CJ Nelson, Dae'Kwon Watson and Tanner McCliment-Call each made three triples to join Keltner in the double-digits column. Zackry Martinez posted 12 points, four rebounds and five assists.
The Lions had their three-game win streak halted and fell to 6-5 overall. The Lights improved to 9-3.
What Happened?: Both teams started the game cold combining to go 3-of-18 from the field over the first five minutes.
Micah Swartz (FR/Newbury Park, CA) hit 1-of-2 free throws to give the Blue and Gold a 7-5 lead, but the Lights blitzed VU with a 12-2 run to build an eight-point advantage with 7:31 to go.
Keltner scored 10 straight points as the Lights extended their lead to 20-11 at the 5:29 mark.
But the Lions fought back and played their best basketball of the game over the final five minutes, outscoring the Lights 14-3 to take a two-point lead into the locker room. VU hit its last six shots, including two apiece from White and Sims.
The Lions opened up their biggest lead at 30-25 on a White three-pointer with 18:25 remaining, but then slogged through a five and a half minute stretch without a field goal as MSUN went on a 15-2 run to seize control of the game.
Kody Knox (SR/Porter Ranch, CA) ended the drought with a triple at the 12:54 mark to reduce VU's deficit to 40-35.
But the Lights found their rhythm from the three-point line, hitting five over a six-minute stretch. Once the dust settled, the Lions found themselves staring at a 58-43 deficit with 7:06 left.
The Lions missed 13 of their final 15 shots over the last nine-plus minutes as MSUN ran away with the 22-point victory.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions have stuck to the same trend through the first 11 games, unable to overcome poor shooting in any of their five losses. In VU's six wins, the team has shot 55 percent from the field. That figure dips to 35 percent in its five defeats.
What Was Said?: "Credit MSUN for coming out and having a different level of grit in the second half," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "The first half was a back-and-forth defensive battle and the game had the feel that somebody was ready to break out offensively. Well, unfortunately it wasn't us. Northern played with more conviction at both ends and out-executed us at both ends of the floor. I'm looking forward to our guys bouncing back and playing a better game tomorrow.
What's Next?: The Lions will face their first top-25 opponent of the season in No. 24 Carroll College on Tuesday. The game will tip at 11:00 a.m. (PT) at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
