ANAHEIM, Calif. – Melissa Akullu (JR/Kampala, Uganda) scored a career-high 40 points as the Vanguard women's basketball team rolled to a 119-45 victory over Bethesda on Thursday afternoon at the Salvation Army.

Akullu became the sixth Lion in program history to reach the 40-point mark. She shot 17 of 25 from the field while adding 14 rebounds and five steals.

Airiana Madanski (JR/Gilbert, AZ) scored 23 points with five assists and eight steals. She made five of VU's 11 three-pointers. Estefania Giner (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico) posted an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double on 7 of 14 shooting.

Rounding out the Lion double-digit scorers were Sarah Matossian (SO/Laguna Niguel, CA) and Faith Boss (FR/Torrance, CA) with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Lauren Baumgartner (SR/Meridian, ID) dished out 10 assists as the Lions had 27 helpers as team on 42 baskets.

VU shot 47.2 (42 of 89) percent from the game. Bethesda, who was led by Alex Buckley's 18 points, shot 35 percent (16 of 48) overall.

The Lions held a 53-29 rebounding advantage, pulling down 29 offensive rebounds that led to 30 second change points. VU also used an effective full court press to force 45 Bethesda turnovers, leading to a 61-14 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Lions (13-4) won for the sixth time in the last seven games. The Flames fell to 1-18.

What Happened?: The Lions and Flames engaged in an old fashioned shootout in the first period as they combined for 57 points. VU emerged with a 31-26 lead, as both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field and hit five threes apiece.

Buckley scored 14 of her 18 points in the period. Her layup pulled the Flames within a bucket at 28-26 before Matossian drained a three with two ticks remaining to end the quarter.

Madanski got hot midway through the first with three consecutive triples. She hit a fourth three to give VU a 26-15 lead, but the Flames scored 11 of the final 16 points.

The Lions dominated the second quarter and outscored the Flames 39-2 to turn a close game into a 70-28 rout at halftime. Akullu went wild with 18 points on an array of layups and finished 8 of 12 from the field. The Flames were limited to a lone basket from Anna Neeley.

The Lions outscored the Flames 49-17 in the second half. VU defense continued to tighten as the Flames managed just six points in the third period. Boss knocked down three treys in the third.

All nine Lions who suited up landed in the scoring column.

Why Is It Important?: The Lions spread out the minutes in a tuneup for the resumption of Golden State Athletic Conference play this weekend.

What Was Said?: "After a sluggish first quarter, I challenged the girls to step up and they did that the rest of the game," said Assistant Coach Sierra Vaglica. "Mel was huge for us both offensively and defensively. She was cleaning up missed shots and finishing offensively, and she was forcing turnovers within our press on the defensive end. Airi shot well from behind the arc with confidence for us. While I am proud of how the girls rose to the challenge, I am more excited to see how we continue to grow and get better as a team."

What's Next?: The Lions host Life Pacific in GSAC action this Saturday at Orange Coast College. Tip time is 5:30 p.m.