SAN DIMAS, Calif. – Vanguard men's basketball limited any three-point shenanigans from Life Pacific in the second half to scratch out a 75-64 victory in Golden State Athletic Conference action on Saturday.
The Warriors, which entered the game second in the GSAC with 10.3 threes made per game, actually exceeded that mark with 11. However, the 11 makes came on 30 attempts. In addition, the Lions defended especially well in the second half and held LPU to 3 of 12 from beyond the arc.
The Lions hit nine threes of their own – three from Phillip Willis – who joined Anthony Tello for team-high scoring honors with 15 points apiece.
VU also received 11 points and a team-best seven rebounds from a resurgent Preston Sims, who canned a pair of threes and made two steals in a team-high 33 minutes.
The GSAC's best at limiting their turnovers and forcing opponents into miscues, VU did that again. The Lions committed a season-low seven turnovers, while LPU had 12. The Lions outscored the Warriors 13-4 in points off turnovers.
The Blue and Gold also enjoyed an advantage at the free throw line, shooting 14 of 20 overall while limiting the Warriors to 5 of 10.
Rico Hopping topped LPU with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Lions (13-5, 3-2) have rebounded with two straight wins after losing two in a row. LPU fell to 7-7 overall and remained winless in the GSAC at 0-5.
What Happened?: The Lions took a 40-36 lead into intermission upped that advantage to seven on a Bryson Metz three-pointers just seconds into the second half.
However, LPU posted a 9-0 run over the next three-plus minutes to grab a 45-43 lead.
Willis handed the lead back to VU for good as his three with 13:04 remaining put the Blue and Gold in front 49-47.
The Lions created some separation with a 7-0 spurt – helped by five straight points from Sims – giving the visitors a 58-50 edge with 7:39 on the clock.
VU played well over a nine-minute stretch in the second half, which facilitated a 20-5 run that transformed a 47-44 deficit into 64-52 lead with 6:16 to go.
The Warriors then scored the next seven points courtesy a triple from Malakhi Jensen and consecutive layups from Albert Matute. Leading 64-59, the Lions got back-to-back offensive rebounds from Jackson Larsen on the next possession, and the senior center converted a layup to put VU in front by seven.
VU held the Warriors scoreless for a four and a half minute stretch to put the game away. LPU did not make another basket until Wes Clarkson made a layup with 31 ticks remaining.
Metz and Mitchell Prevost each went 2 of 2 at the line down the stretch to clinch the victory.
Tello scored 10 of his 15 points to help Vanguard claim a four-point lead at the break. He impacted the game immediately after converting a three-point play to give the Lions a 12-3 lead with 15 minutes to go in the opening half.
The junior guard engineered his own personal 7-0 run as VU turned a 31-31 tie into a 38-31 advantage at the 2:31 mark.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions improved to 2-0 in GSAC road games.
What Was Said?: "Life Pacific is a highly skilled and well-coached team," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "They brought a ton of fight tonight and made us work for everything. We had to make some big plays and get some big stops in the second half to hold them off. Having three guys in double figures and a lot of guys with four-plus rebounds is always a good recipe or us. With a six-way tie for first, this next week is critical to protect home court."
What's Next?: The Lions host No. 10 Arizona Christian in a battle between two of the teams tied for first in the GSAC. The two tangle on Thursday, January 25 at Orange Coast College, with tip scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
