COSTA MESA -- One of the greatest NAIA women's basketball coaches reached a goal that had been proclaimed as his destiny a long time ago.  "My mom always said that I would have at least 650 wins and I always remembered that," said Head Coach Russ Davis.  "I was thinking about that today.  I am sure she is smiling down from above."  His Vanguard women's basketball team squared off against the Jessup Warriors on Saturday and the Lions picked up a 55-36 win.  18 points and 15 rebounds for Melissa Akullu (JR/Kampala, Uganda) paced the lineup, with Halle Si'i (FR/Long Beach, CA) picking up 10 points and seven assists.  Vanguard improves to 16-4 overall and 9-3 in Golden State Athletic Conference action, having now won five straight games.  Jessup falls to 13-9 overall and 8-5 in GSAC play. 

What Happened?

The first quarter saw both teams struggle to put in baskets, as VU shot 15% from the floor and Jessup shot 27.3%.  Lauren Baumgartner (SR/Meridian, ID) made three free throws after getting fouled on an attempt from deep to put VU up 3-0 at the 8:10 mark.  Akullu connected on her first layup 25 seconds later but the scoring tailed off from there.  Akullu made one more layup in what became an 8-2 Warrior run that saw the guests lead 8-7 after one quarter.

The Lions tied the score on a free throw by Sarah Matossian (SO/Laguna Niguel, CA) 90 seconds into the second quarter and Akullu reestablished the lead on a quality feed from Baumgartner.  JU tied the game at 10-10 soon thereafter but a bank shot off the glass by Jaryn Madsen (FR/Warden, WA) put the Lions back into the lead.  That started a 10-3 run over the next five minutes, as Baumgartner and Si'i made free throws and Akullu banked in another layup to put VU ahead 19-11.  The lead stretched to 22-11 on a Baumgartner three with 2:44 to go in the half, but the Warriors closed out the half with a run of their own.  Jessup would put in seven unanswered points to close the gap to 22-18 with 38 seconds to go. But the Lions had a flurry of chances at the end of the half.  Si'i missed a layup, Akullu missed the second chance, but Alexa Silva (SO/Lemoore, CA) made the third attempt right before time expired to put the Blue and Gold ahead 24-18 heading into halftime.  Jessup shot 30% in the frame and the Lions were at a 29.4% clip.

Vanguard broke through and cemented the contest in the third quarter, as the Lions would outscore the Warriors 25-8 over that 10-minute span.  VU shot 50% in the frame, holding the Warriors to 15.4%.  Airiana Madanski (JR/Gilbert, AZ) downed a three 30 seconds into the frame, and she would make another one two minutes later to put VU up 32-18.  Akullu then took over with two minutes left in the period, putting up six points in one minute to send the Lions ahead 47-23.  Two free throws for Si'i with three seconds to go meant the Lions were up 49-26 heading into the fourth period. 

It took over five minutes for either team to score in the final frame.  Akullu made the score 51-26 with 4:57 to go, which opened the game up again.  A short 6-0 run for Jessup was answered by a layup from Estefania Giner (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico), with Akullu making the final VU basket with 1:06 to go.  The Lions were outscored 10-6 in the final quarter but the lead was never in question, as the Blue and Gold claimed the 55-36 win.

Vanguard shot 30.2% for the game, 16% from deep, and went 13-for-15 from the charity stripe.  JU shot 22.9% from the field for the contest, went 15.8% from deep, and went 11-of-20 from the free throw line.  Vanguard held a 46-40 edge in rebounds, with a 15-9 lead in the offensive rebound category.  The Lions also had the only three blocks in the game and a 13-7 lead in assists.

Baumgartner had nine total points and Madsen had seven.  Akullu had two blocks and Baumgartner and Si'i had two steals apiece.

Why is it Important?  The taste of victory was sweet for the Lions, who had lost to the Warriors up north earlier in the season 51-48.  VU is now 17-3 all-time against Jessup.  The 39 points scored by the Warriors is the lowest number for JU in a regular season game this year.  Both Westmont and Hope International won, so the Lions keep pace with the top two in the conference.

Davis earned win number 600 in the 2019-2020 season.  His teams from the 2011-2012 season through the 2019-2020 year all earned 20 or more wins, catapulting him from 416 victories to 614 in nine seasons.

What was Said?  "I'm super proud of how our defense played today," continued Davis.  "It was outstanding.  Jessup is really well-coached and they run great stuff.  My team really stepped it up.  That's a good team we just played.  Two good defensive teams getting after each other, and it really showed in our shooting percentages."

What's Next? Vanguard will make the Arizona road trip next, with Arizona Christian up as the first opponent.  VU will tip off against the Firestorm on Thursday, February 2, at 4:30 p.m. PST.