COSTA MESA – A three-point barrage and stingy defense in the second half propelled the Vanguard men's basketball team to a 84-76 victory over No. 1 Arizona Christian on Saturday afternoon at Orange Coast College.

It was the program's first win over a No. 1-ranked team.

The Lions knocked down nine of their 12 three-pointers over the final 20 minutes. Garrett White (SR/Post Falls, ID) made five of his six three-pointers in the second half to finish with a game-high 24 points.

Vanguard tightened its defensive effort in the second stanza, holding the Firestorm to just one field goal over nearly a 10-minute stretch. The Lions shot 47.4 percent (9 of 14) from distance to outscore the Firestorm 45-33 in the second half.

White added 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. He also hit the 20-point mark for the fourth consecutive game and sixth in the last seven.

Preston Sims (JR/Orange, CA) had his best game as a Lion, finishing with a career-high 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting. He scored nine of those points during a key 16-5 second half run that helped the Lions turn.a six-point deficit into a five-point lead.

Down the stretch, Bryson Metz (FR/Vancouver, WA) also came through in a big way as the guard scored 10 of his career-best 14 points over the final 2:17 of the game to help VU withstand a late Firestorm push.

Isaac Davis (SR/Valencia, CA) finished with nine points, eight assists and five rebounds as the Lions improved to 9-6 overall and 3-4 in the Golden State Athletic Conference

For the game, the Lions shot 48.4 (31 of 64) percent from the field and 40.0 (12 of 30) percent from three. VU forced 14 ACU miscues and turned those into a 20-15 advantage in points off turnovers.

Arizona Christian received a team-high 23 points from Paul Hayden, who shot 9 of 15 from the floor and drained five triples. Dennis Flowers III added 13 points off the bench, while Trent Hudgens and Bryce Davis had 11 and 10, respectively.

The Firestorm fell to 14-3 on the season and 5-2 in conference play.

What Happened?: After a back-and-forth first half resulted in a 43-39 halftime lead for the Firestorm, the Lions fell behind by six when Hayden struck for a layup at the 18:34 mark.

Sims found the hot hand from there. He knocked down a three while getting fouled and converted a four-point play to draw the Lions even at 45-45. After Hudgens responded with a triple to put ACU up 48-45, Sims sank another three to tie the score once again.

VU hit four consecutive shots – two by Sims and two by White – with a Sims jumper at the 14:46 mark giving the Blue and Gold a 55-50 lead and completing the 16-5 burst.

The Lions kept the pressure on, and a Sims steal led to an inside bucket from Jadyn Johnson (JR/Temecula, CA). Johnson, who got fouled on the play, sank the free throw to give VU a 61-52 lead at the 13:04 mark.

White's three less than a minute later widened the gap to double-digits for the first time, as the scoring run reached 25-9 over a six minute and 15 second span.

With VU leading 64-54, Hayden sank a trey to get the Firestorm within seven.

However, the Lions picked up the defensive intensity and stifled the Firestorm, forcing them to miss 12 of 13 shots at one point. Other than a Hayden three at the 8:23 mark, ACU went nine minutes and 34 seconds with just one field goal.

The Lions capitalized, as a pair of White threes and a Sims slam gave the Lions a 72-60 lead with 7:32 remaining.

VU's offense stalled for a five-plus minute stretch, but ACU could not muster any offense. Flowers III and Keyvaughn Williams made consecutive buckets to pull the Firestorm within 74-65 with 1:56 to go, but Metz shut the door with his late scoring flurry.

Metz hit back-to-back threes, his second one providing VU its biggest lead at 80-66.

The Lions started the game on a mission, jumping out to a 15-7 lead on a Jackson Larsen (JR/El Cajon, CA) layup at the 14:36 mark. ACU battled back, using a 17-6 run to grab a 24-21 advantage.

White hit a three as VU retook the 29-28 lead. However, Bryce Davis scored six straight points over the final minute and a half to hand the Firestorm its four-point halftime lead.

Why Is It Important?: The Lions were 0-3 in three previous matchups against No. 1 opponents in the Rhett Soliday era. VU now has wins over two ranked foes this season – No. 24 Carroll College and No. 1 ACU. The Lions are just one game back of third place and two games out of the lead in the GSAC.

What Was Said?: "I'm really proud of our guys showing their depth of character and resolve in bouncing back today after a tough loss on Thursday," said Soliday. "Whether we had won today or not, I would have been proud of their focus and togetherness in the way we competed. We were fortunate that the ball went in at a pretty good clip as that always helps, but, it was our focus and intensity at the defensive end that I felt propelled us today. ACU is a legit national contender and still the favorite to win the GSAC. We had some special individual performances at the offensive end in the second half that were so fun to watch. The combination of Preston, Garrett and Bryson in the second half is the stuff that great wins are made of."

What's Next?: VU hosts Hope International in another big contest on Thursday, January 12 at Orange Coast College. Tip time is 7:30 p.m.