COSTA MESA – Trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, Vanguard refused to break and used a furious second half comeback to topple Menlo, 78-73, in Golden State Athletic Conference men's basketball action on Saturday at Orange Coast College.
The Lions outscored the Oaks 43-28 over the final 20 minutes thanks to increased aggression on both ends of the floor. VU went hard to the basket in shooting 53.6 (15 of 28) percent in the second half. After Menlo shot 55.9 (19 of 34) percent in the first half, the Lions were relentless on defense following intermission – with late blocks by Preston Sims and Phillip Willis major factors – as the Oaks managed to shoot just 41.7 (10 of 24) percent in the second stanza.
Senior Jackson Larsen had another stellar performance with 20 points on 9 of 13 shooting. It was his fourth 20-point game this season. Larsen is shooting 63.6 (31 of 49) percent from the floor over his last five games.
Sophomore Bryson Metz scored a career-best 16 points, making 5 of 11 shots overall. He knocked down two triples and went 4 of 5 from the free throw line. Metz added four rebounds and two steals.
Sims and Anthony Tello contributed 10 points apiece. Tello scored eight of his 10 points in the second half, including a crucial three-pointer down the stretch.
Willis notched seven of his nine points in the second half and finished with four rebounds, an assist, a steal and a blocked shot.
The Lions had a 40-34 edge in points in the point and forced 18 Menlo turnovers. The Lions had just eight turnovers, and won the points off turnovers battle (15-10).
VU also did a stellar job on limiting GSAC leading scorer Landon Seaman. The Oak forward came in averaging over 20 points per game, and he finished with just eight points while battling foul trouble.
Nick High led Menlo (13-4, 1-3) with 17 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while Patrick Ryan posted 12 points.
VU improved to 12-5 overall and 2-2 in the GSAC, putting a halt to a two-game losing streak.
What Happened?: Menlo built a 45-35 halftime lead on the strength of solid shooting. The Oaks broke out to a 6-0 lead and maintained that edge throughout the entirety of the first half.
Salim Arikat came off the bench to hit three triples – his third giving the Oaks their largest lead at 33-17 with 9:05 to go. The Lions fought back with a 7-0 run as Larsen bullied inside for a layup, followed by a Metz three and layup.
The Oaks pushed the lead back to 12 on a couple of occasions, but Sims converted a layup with 13 seconds left as the Lions trailed 45-35 at halftime.
VU used a 15-5 run over the first seven minutes of the second half to close within 53-50. Micah Swartz and Pape Cisse hit key shots off the bench during that stretch.
The Oaks, who shot just 7 of 15 from the foul line for the game, missed four straight free throws during one stretch to help the Lions chip away at their deficit. Sims canned a three to pull VU within 60-57, and Tello got inside for a layup and drew a foul on High. The junior guard converted the free throw for the three-point play as Menlo led 62-60 with 6:37 to go.
Back-to-back layups from Larsen resulted in VU's first lead of the game at 66-65 with 4:09 remaining. Sims set up the go-ahead bucket with a fantastic rejection on Ryan.
Willis then swatted High's attempt and sank a three on the other end to give the Lions a 69-65 lead, forcing a Menlo timeout. The Oaks scored five straight points on a High three-pointer and two Seaman free throws to retake a 70-69 lead.
With VU in the double bonus, Metz drew a foul and hit both free throws for a 71-70 Lion lead. Seaman drew a foul off a missed three-pointer from Kaito Williams, but could not convert the front end of a one-on-one. Seaman corralled his own miss, but a swarming Lion defense allowed Sims to steal the ball.
The Lions called timeout and set up a play from Tello, who obliged with a triple from the left corner on a feed from Willis.
With the Lions leading 74-70, they forced another Menlo turnover. The Oaks were forced to foul and put Willis at the line. The guard calmly hit both free throws. Swartz and Sims finished out the game hitting 1 of 2 free throws as VU took the 78-73 victory.
Why Is It Important?: Vanguard had lost the four previous games in which it trailed at halftime.
What Was Said?: "I'm so proud of the fight our guys showed today. Our back were definitely against the wall after being handled at home by a really good Jessup team," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "This game was all about the response, not the about the scoreboard. There was a point today where we could have cracked, down 16 in the first half and 10 at halftime. Our guys came out with toughness, resolve and a lot of purpose at both ends in the second half and that gave us a chance down the stretch. It wasn't a perfect half but it usually never is about that. It's about continuing to believe and execute until some things go our way. We had huge defensive plays by a lot of guys but Preston's and Phillip's blocks late were especially big time. We also started really playing inside-out offensively and Jackson was really dynamic with the ball in his hands. That corner three from Tello was huge. So many big plays when we needed them."
What's Next?: The Lions travel to Life Pacific on Saturday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m.
What's Next?: The Lions travel to Life Pacific on Saturday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m.
