COSTA MESA – The Vanguard men's basketball team outscored Life Pacific by 25 points with a frenzied and aggressive second half approach, sprinting to an 86-61 victory on Saturday evening at Orange Coast College.

Balanced scoring also benefitted the Blue and Gold with four players in double figures. Jackson Larsen (JR/El Cajon, CA) equalled career-highs in both points (18) and rebounds (8) while shooting 8 of 13 from the field. Isaac Davis (SR/Valencia, CA) chipped in 17 points and a pair of steals, while Garrett White (SR/Post Falls, ID) and Phillip Willis (SR/San Diego, CA) added 15 points each.

Preston Sims (JR/Orange, CA) also had nine points as the Lions improved to 10-8 overall and 4-6 in the Golden State Athletic Conference. The Warriors dropped to 8-10 and 1-9 in league play.

VU held Life Pacific to just 22 points in a spirited second half defensive effort. Austin Cook, who scored 13 points with three triples in the first half, was held to two points on 1 of 6 shooting in the second.

The Lions also dominated the glass in outrebounding the Warriors 53-24, including a mammoth 22-1 edge on the offensive end. As a result, VU enjoyed a 23-0 advantage in second chance points.

VU snapped a two-game slide against the Warriors to improve to 23-3 in the all-time series.

Cook and Daniel Hernandez led LPU with 15 points apiece. Kyler Villarreal, the team's leading scorer at 17.8 points per game, finished with 14.

What Happened?: After an entertaining, back-and-forth first half resulted in a 39-39 halftime tie, the Lions redoubled their efforts in the final 20 minutes to stonewall the Warriors.

The Lions used a 15-2 blitz over a six-minute span to extend their lead to 65-45. Larsen scored eight points during the run with some aggressive moves to the rim. VU also played some of its best basketball defensively forcing six LPU turnovers over that stretch.

With the Lions up 67-49, Willis scored 13 of VU's next 15 points to extend the lead to 31. Willis started the 15-2 run with a three-pointer and a slick tip-in off a missed attempt from distance by Sims. He ended the blitz with back-to-back three-point daggers, his final one giving the Lions an 82-51 lead at the 5:21 mark.

The Warriors hit seven threes in the first half to stay even with the Lions. Cook came out hot to start the game, scoring 13 points to help LPU to a 23-18 lead. The Lions then made life miserable for the sophomore guard, holding him scoreless for the next 26 minutes.

VU continued to trail but caught LPU on a Sims trey that tied the game at 27-27. Larsen put the Lions up 29-27 on a pair of free throws and the lead exchanged hands four more times before halftime.

Jacob Brown (JR/El Dorado Hills, CA) muscled his way inside for a layup to tie the score at 39-39 as the Lions finished the first half shooting 44.7 (17 of 38) percent.

Why Is It Important?: It was a huge win for the Lions, which remained in the hunt for a berth for a Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament. The top six teams in the GSAC qualify for the event. VU is currently a game and a half out of the sixth spot.

What Was Said?: "I'm proud of our guys for the resilience they've shown all year," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "We have continued to say that stops win and our guys played one of our most complete defensive games tonight. Life Pacific has the ability to really get going offensively and I thought we were physically and mentally tough in weathering some great shot-making by them early. Our veterans really came to play tonight and they set the tone for our group in how to compete. We didn't shoot the ball great tonight, but we forced 12 second half turnovers that led to some easy baskets. This is quality momentum heading into two of the toughest opponents we'll face in Menlo and Jessup."

What's Next?: Vanguard faces another crucial test on Thursday, Jan. 26 against No. 24 Menlo. Tip time at Orange Coast College is 7:30 p.m.