COSTA MESA -- Vanguard women's basketball had used quality defense to upset Westmont on Thursday and ended up in another low-scoring thriller on Saturday night against The Master's.  The two squads each put up the lowest number of total points for the season in a countable game, but Vanguard would show determination in the second half and emerge victorious.  The Lions outscored the Mustangs 24-10 over the final two quarters to win 41-32, taking the Blue and Gold to 20-4 overall and 13-3 in the Golden State Athletic Conference.  TMU goes to 16-8 overall and 9-7 in GSAC action.

Before the game began, VU celebrated the three seniors on the team.  Lauren Baumgartner (SR/Meridian, ID), Estefania Giner (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico), and Hannah Monty (SR/Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) all took a final bow before their fans and teammates before playing in the final home game of the season.  

What Happened? Melissa Akullu (JR/Kampala, Uganda) and Halle Si'i (FR/Long Beach, CA) were the focal points for the Lions offensively on the night, as the duo potted 23 of the team's 41 points.  Akullu also poached 10 rebounds to add another double-double to her belt, with Si'i leading the team with four assists.  Vanguard's defense shone when it mattered, as VU won the turnover battle 12-25 and had a 16-6 advantage in points off of turnovers in the game.  Akullu picked up three blocks and five steals, leading all players in those two categories.

The Mustangs made the first shot of the game but Si'i responded by rolling a pass to Akullu, who turned and finished to tie the game at 2-2.  After a three-point play for TMU, Si'i would again answer, as she splashed down an open three, with Monty picking up the assist.  Neither side could score over the next four minutes and change until Akullu gave the Blue and Gold its first lead at 7-5.  But the Mustangs finished with a flourish, as the visitors made a 7-2 run over the final 1:06 of the quarter to snag a 12-9 lead.

The Master's continued its good form of play in the second quarter, as the Mustangs scored six unanswered points over the first four and a half minutes to go ahead 18-9.  A three for Sarah Matossian (SO/Laguna Niguel, CA) was followed up by another layup for Akullu with 3:33 left in the half, slicing the deficit to four.  Alexa Silva (SO/Lemoore, CA) drained another three with 1:11 to go on a tasty pass from Baumgartner, which ended the scoring for the half, as TMU held an 18-17 lead at the break.

Vanguard got back into the lead on the back of an 8-4 run over the first three minutes of the second half.  Airiana Madanski (JR/Gilbert, AZ) sunk a downtown shot to push VU ahead 20-18, with Akullu scoring soon thereafter to make it 22-18.  Si'i then scored the next five points for the Lions, as she zigged and zagged her way to the basket, to put the squad up 27-22.  Both sides then hit another dry spell, as neither team scored for about four minutes. TMU broke the spell with a jumper but Jaryn Madsen (FR/Warden, WA) padded the lead back to six on a triple with 1:16 to go in the third, as VU led 30-24 at the end of the period.

The Mustangs frustrated the Vanguard attempt to blow the lead open, as TMU scored the first basket of the fourth at the 6:17 mark to come within four.  Another circus-style layup for Si'i made it 32-26 and she would make a free throw with 2:52 to go to increase the gap to 33-26.

The final two minutes saw a flurry of chances, as both sides laid it all out for the win.  Akullu made four of the final eight points for the Blue and Gold, as VU surged to a 37-29 lead.  A three by The Master's cut that down to 37-32 but the Mustangs were running out of time.  The visitors fouled Baumgartner, who hit two free throws with 20 seconds to go and again with five seconds left to ice the game, as Vanguard won 41-32.

Vanguard shot 24.2% from the floor for the contest, went 27.3% from deep, and made 5-of-6 attempts from the free throw line.  TMU shot 30.2% from the floor for the match, 20% from deep, and went 4-for-6 from the charity stripe.  VU was out-rebounded in the game by one (39-38) but held a 13-5 edge in offensive rebounds. 

 Why is it Important? The win marks the 21st time that the program has collected a 20-plus win season under Coach Davis.  Westmont won, keeping a one-game gap between them and the Lions in the regular season title race.  VU is now 51-26 all-time against TMU, with Vanguard picking up wins in three of the past four games.

What was Said?  "That was a defensive battle," said Head Coach Russ Davis.  "It was super physical from start to finish.  Both teams played incredibly hard.  I'm proud of our team for pulling off a win in a game like that where it was hard to do anything offensively.  The Master's were averaging 75 points a game and we held them to 32.  They also held us way under our scoring average.  My three seniors are very special to this program and to me.  I am so glad we can send them out right on senior night with a hard-fought win.

What's Next? The Blue and Gold will conclude the season with two away games, with San Diego Christian up first.  VU will head down to SDCC on Thursday, February 16, for a 5:30 p.m. game.