SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- A great first half defensively for the Vanguard men's basketball team helped the Lions to knock off the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 84-68 Thursday.  VU shot 56.3% from the field over the course of the first 20 minutes of play, while the defense held UBC to a 37.5% clip.  Garrett White (SR/Post Falls, ID) and Phillip Willis (SR/San Diego, CA) accounted for almost half of the points scored for the Blue and Gold in the contest, with White putting down 20 points and Willis netting 19.  The Lions will head into the 2023 portion of the schedule at 8-5 overall, with the Thunderbirds falling to 11-5.

What Happened?  The opening basket went to White, who converted a layup after a nice individual move down low.  After a good stand at the other end, VU moved up the court and Willis buried a mid-range jumper to make it 4-0 early.  A three for UBC was answered by a short floater for Preston Sims (JR/Orange, CA) and each team then splashed down a triple to make it 9-6.  Even though the Lions were ahead, VU called the first timeout of the game just past the 16-minute mark.   After the coaches reorganized the offense, the Lions made a quick 8-2 run to stretch the advantage to 17-8.  The Thunderbirds did not need much time before they replied with a 7-2 streak of their own to make the score 19-15 in favor of Vanguard, but UBC could not get any closer.  The gap remained around five or six points for the next 10 minutes, as neither side could find separation.  However, a deep three from White with 5:44 to go sparked another hot streak for the Lions.  Ahead 31-23, White, Willis, and Pape Momar Cisse (SO/Dakar, Senegal) each contributed buckets to push the lead to 43-31.  UBC made four points towards the end of the half but White had the final say, as he made two free throws to send the Lions into halftime ahead 45-35.  White scored 14 points in the first frame, with Willis putting up 13. 

UBC came out of the break and dropped five points in the first minute, but Jackson Larsen (JR/El Cajon, CA) made a quality spin move in the paint and finished, with Isaac Davis (SR/Valencia, CA) plunking down a three soon thereafter.  British Columbia eventually closed the gap to three points with a 5-0 run around the 14-minute mark, but Bryson Metz (FR/Vancouver, WA) sank a jumper to end the run.  Cisse then made another layup to generate some more breathing space for Lions, who did not allow the Thunderbirds to get that close again.

The difference between the two teams did not fluctuate much over the next four minutes, but Metz kickstarted a run that would put a dagger through whatever hopes UBC had of coming back.  Making two free throws with 7:47 to go, he chipped in six more points over the next two minutes, with Larsen and Willis making free throws to increase the lead to 77-66.  The final four minutes were also owned by the Lions, as the team outscored the Thunderbirds 7-2 to take the 84-68 victory.

Vanguard shot 50% from the floor for the game, with UBC shooting 38.8%.  Vanguard had the better three percentage (35% compared to 25.7%), as UBC made only nine of their 35 attempts from downtown.  The Lions also had a bountiful night from the free throw line, going 16-for-20 (80%), while British Columbia went 7-9 (77.8%).  VU had only 10 fouls as a team, with no one having more than two.  Vanguard overcame a slight deficit in the rebound category in the second half, winning the battle for the glass 39-34.  The turnover metric was pretty close, as UBC made 13 and VU had 11, but Vanguard made 21 points off of turnovers, while the Thunderbirds could only net 13. 

White was 8-for-14 for the night, making two of his three shots from beyond the arc.  Willis was 6-of-9 from the floor and went 3-for-4 from downtown, while also leading the team with eight rebounds.  Davis had 10 points, six rebounds, and two assists.  Metz had 12 points and Cisse collected seven points in his second game in the Blue and Gold. 

Why is it Important?  Make it back-to-back wins for the Lions and five wins in the past six.  White has been one of the leading scorers in each of those games and VU is 6-0 when he puts up 20-plus points.  Willis has scored 10 or more points in all but one game so far this season.  This was the second meeting against UBC all-time and the win levels the series, as Vanguard lost at home in 2010.

What was Said?  "I thought our guys played perhaps the most complete game of the year," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday.  "They were tough and gritty at the defensive end and were patient to compete for the right shot offensively.  UBC is as good as anyone we've played all year and to find a way to get this one done, heading into conference play again, is the kind of momentum we wanted to create.  It doesn't get any easier as we head back into GSAC play, with two of the best teams in the country in OUAZ and ACU coming to town."

What's Next? The Lions were scheduled to face Carroll for the second time this season but the winter weather axed their flight plans.  That means the Lions return home and take on OUAZ next on January 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the OCC Gym.