SURPRISE, Ariz. – Melissa Akullu (JR/Kampala, Uganda) notched 31 points on 14 of 16 shooting to help the Vanguard women's basketball team to an 83-27 victory over OUAZ Saturday morning.

Akullu scored 25 of her 31 in the first half as the Lions built an insurmountable 44-11 halftime lead. She added seven rebounds, a steal and a block.

Vanguard won its seventh straight game, the program's longest winning streak since the 2019-20 season.

Jaryn Madsen (FR/Warden, WA) filled out the Lion double-digit scorers as she knocked down four three-pointers for 12 points.

Halle Si'i (FR/Long Beach, CA) had another impressive all-around game with nine points, a career-high 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Si'i has pulled down 21 rebounds over her last two games.

The Lions shot 51.5 (35 of 68) percent from the field and outrebounded OUAZ 53-22. VU forced the Spirit into 23 turnovers that led to 24 points. VU also held a 50-12 advantage in points in the paint.

VU improved to 18-4 overall and 11-3 in the Golden State Athletic Conference.

What Happened?: Akullu scored 17 consecutive points in the first quarter as VU finished the first 10 minutes up 23-9. Giner accounted for the other six points in the period.

The Lions utilized a 25-0 run between the first and second quarters to lead 39-9 with 2:39 left before halftime. VU held OUAZ without a point for 12 straight minutes until Cierra's Kiser's jumper ended the drought.

Madsen hit three triples in the second quarter, including one with 24 seconds left that gave the Lions a 44-11 halftime lead.

The Lions eventually expanded their lead to as much as 58 points. Hannah Monty (SR/Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) came off the bench to hit a three and a layup, the latter opening up a 79-21 advantage with 4:37 to go in the game.

Why Is It Important?: The 27 points scored by OUAZ was the fewest by a Lion opponent this season. VU is top-5 nationally in scoring defense, allowing opponents to average 51.0 points per game.

What Was Said?: "We played well today. There were some areas that we could have been better in but we continued to attack and give it our all," said Assistant Coach Sierra Vaglica. "Every game is a big game in this conference and we have some big games coming up this week. We have to take care of the ball better than we did today and continue to get better everyday in practice."

What's Next?: VU hosts No. 5 Westmont next Thursday in a showdown with the first place team in the GSAC. Tip time from Orange Coast College is 5:30 p.m.