COSTA MESA – The Vanguard men's basketball team rode a career-high 27 points from senior Phillip Willis and shot 57.7 percent overall to nab an 83-80 victory over No. 7-ranked Montana Tech on Friday at Orange Coast College.
Fellow senior Jackson Larsen poured in 18 points on 9 of 10 shooting as the Lions upended a top-10 opponent for the second time this season. VU knocked off then-No. 1 College of Idaho, 94-67, on November 17.
The Willis-Larsen duo combined to shoot 16 of 21 overall from the field with both players tying for team-high honors with eight rebounds apiece. VU's two best shooting performances this season have come against College of Idaho and Montana Tech.
Willis shot 7 of 11 from the field, including 4 of 5 from three-point range. The guard also converted nine of his 10 free throw attempts.
Sophomore guard Bryson Metz scored seven of his nine points over the final four minutes and 13 seconds to help spark a second half comeback, allowing the Lions to climb back from a nine-point deficit on three different occasions.
VU shot 62.5 (15 of 24) percent in the second half to offset a 50.0 (19 of 38) percent effort by the Orediggers over the final 20 minutes. However, the Orediggers fell short with 28.0 percent efficiency from distance, hitting just 7 of 25 overall.
Hayden Diekhans led the Orediggers with 22 points and a game-high nine rebounds. He hit 9 of 12 floor shots. Michael Ure contributed 16 points and Asa Williams added 11.
Both the Lions and Orediggers are now 7-2 on the season.
What Happened?: Montana Tech mounted a 24-7 rally spanning 10 minutes between the first and second halves to turn an eight-point deficit into a nine-point lead. The Orediggers trailed 37-29 with 3:40 remaining in the first half following a Willis three-pointer.
Led by nine points from Diekhans, the Orediggers picked up their aggression and found themselves leading 53-44 with 13:52 remaining in the game.
The Lions responded with an 11-3 run to slice Montana Tech's lead to 56-55 on two Nico Dasca free throws with 9:35 to go. VU also got great bench contributions during the rally – a traditional three-point play from Mitchell Prevost and a layup from Micah Swartz among them.
The Orediggers needed just two and a half minutes to answer with an 11-3 rally of their own, widening the lead back to nine, 67-58, with 7:04 remaining. Ure's three-pointer and layup helped the Orediggers maintain their cushion at 69-60.
VU remained persistent and continued chipping away at the lead with Metz's triple narrowing the gap to 73-68 at the 4:13 mark. Larsen, who scored on an array of inside post moves throughout the game, drew a foul on a layup as VU trailed 75-70 the next time down the court. Larsen missed the and-one free throw, but Montana Tech could not convert going the other way as Keeley Bake was wayward on a three-point attempt.
Larsen corralled the carom and Willis wiggled inside for a layup as VU cut its deficit to 75-72 with three minutes left. The Lions called timeout and inserted Prevost into the game. The move paid dividends as he helped harass Ure into a turnover.
Willis drained a three on the next possession as VU knotted the score at 75-75. Diekhans went to his left to convert a go-ahead layup, but Willis drew a foul and calmly knocked down two free throws to tie the score again.
Larsen missed two free throws that could have given VU the lead with 1:15 remaining, and a foul by Willis placed Camdyn Larance at the line for two. He made 1 of 2 to give the Orediggers a 78-77 lead with 49 seconds remaining.
Metz, who replaced Prevost for offense, hit a clutch jumper with 36 ticks as VU grabbed its first lead since 37-35.
Following a Montana Tech timeout, Chrishon Dixon mistimed his pass to a teammate. Willis alertly dove for the ball and created a tie-up, with the possession arrow favoring the Lions. Forced to foul down one, the Orediggers put Metz on the charity stripe. He hit both free throws for an 81-78 VU lead with 18 seconds remaining.
Montana Tech rushed down the court looking to score quickly. Ure missed a jumper, but Williams converted the tip-in with eight ticks on the clock. Down 81-80, the Orediggers chose to foul Willis on the inbounds.
An 81 percent foul shooter, Willis converted both attempts at the stripe to put the Blue and Gold up 83-80 with six seconds left.
Montana Tech hurried the other way seeking a game-tying three. Dixon passed the ball to Keeley Bake, who stumbled before he could get off a shot, and the buzzer sounded giving the Lions another big time victory.
The first half was an entertaining back-and-forth affair, with the two teams combining for five ties and 17 lead changes.
Neither team held a bigger lead than three points over the first 15 minutes. However, the Lions embarked on a late 12-3 run to take a 37-29 lead, fueled by two threes from Willis and another from Cam'Ron Wilson.
The Orediggers reeled off six straight points to end the half and the Lions settled for the 37-35 halftime lead.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions continue to defend the three well, holding their eighth straight opponent under 30 percent.
What's Next?: Vanguard faces another ranked foe to open up the HIU Holiday Tournament in No. 13 Northwestern (Iowa) on Tuesday, November 19. The game tips at 7:00 p.m. from Darling Pavilion.
