ATHERTON, Calif. – Vanguard's shooting struggles continued in a Golden State Athletic Conference men's basketball game on Saturday at Menlo. The Lions shot 31.3 percent in a 72-61 loss to the Oaks at Haynes-Prim Pavilion.
The defeat was VU's fourth in the last five games. The Lions dropped to 3-4 overall and 0-3 in GSAC play. Menlo improved to 9-2 and 3-1 in league action.
Phillip Willis (SR/San Diego, CA) led VU with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double. The guard added four steals and made all six of his free throw attempts.
Garrett White (SR/Post Falls, ID) added 15 points and four rebounds. Isaac Davis (SR/Valencia, CA) was VU's third double-digit scorer, as he finished with 10 points. The point guard added four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
VU was 3-of-17 from the three-point line. The Lions have shot 16.0 (12-for-75) percent from distance in their four losses.
The Lions took great care of the ball, committing a season-low five turnovers.
Landon Seaman led the Oaks with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Patrick Ryan contributed 18 points and nine rebounds.
What Happened?: VU stayed within single-digits during the entire first half and went into intermission trailing 36-27. The Lions were behind by just two, 19-17, on a Kody Knox (SR/Porter Ranch, CA) layup with 9:59 remaining. But the Lions managed just one more field goal the rest of the half and the Oaks capitalized, outscoring VU 17-10.
Menlo started the second half with a Ryan layup to create VU's first double-digit deficit at 38-27. Seaman scored eight straight points – and his traditional three-point play opened up a 48-31 advantage at the 14:33 mark.
The Lions reeled off seven straight points to pull within 10 at 48-38. Davis cut the deficit to nine, 51-42, on a layup at the 9:03 mark.
But the Oaks spent a majority of the second half at the free throw line, making 18 of 24 attempts. That enabled them to keep a safe distance from the Lions.
Bryson Metz (FR/Vancouver, WA) hit two free throws as VU crept within 64-55 with 1:18 to go, but Menlo went 6-of-6 at the charity stripe down the stretch to prevent any further push.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions have not started 0-3 in GSAC play since the 2010-11 season.
What Was Said?: "I love our team. We have the right guys and the right pieces on the court," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "We are battling hard but just struggling to put the ball in the basket consistently right now. Credit Menlo tonight for their toughness in the paint. They finished at a high level on their opportunities near the rim while we struggled to finish shots that should be high percentage field goals for us. Sometimes, the game comes down to hitting big shots in big moments. Menlo did that tonight. We will turn it around. Our guys are together and we believe our best basketball is ahead of us. We will stay the course and continue to grow each day."
What's Next?: The Lions continue their four-game roadtrip at Westcliff on Tuesday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m.
