FULLERTON, Calif. – The 10th-ranked Vanguard women's basketball team began their final trek through Golden State Athletic Conference play in grand fashion, producing a 72-62 road victory over local rival Hope International behind a 26-point, 21-rebound performance from All-American Melissa Akullu on Thursday.
It was the third career 20-point, 20-rebound effort for the senior center, who ranks sixth nationally in points per game (23.1) and seventh in rebounds per game (11.8). Her domination on the glass helped the Lions hold a 49-26 rebounding edge over the Royals (8-3, 0-1). Akullu shot 13 of 21 from the field in 37 minutes of action.
Sophomore point guard Halle Si'i collected her fifth career double-double with 16 points and a season-high 10 rebounds. She also amassed her 500th career point on a jumper with 2:07 remaining in the second quarter.
The third Lion in double figures was senior Airiana Madanski, who scored 13 points on 3 of 6 shooting. She joined Si'i and freshman Ashlin Crabtree as one of three Lions to knock down a pair of three-pointers.
Sarah Matossian was another member of the Blue and Gold rebound brigade, pulling down eight and a key reason the Royals had only six second chance points.
VU shot 45.0 (27 of 60) percent for the game, while making 8 of 26 from three-point range. The Lions finished at 76.9 (10 of 13) percent from the foul line.
Hope International got 22 points from Shailissa Jarrett and 21 from Madeleine Salud, who scored all of her points on three-pointers. The Royals chucked up 48 three-point attempts and made 15, hitting at 31.3 percent clip.
What Happened?: The Lions jumped on the Royals from the outset, sprinting to a 10-0 lead midway through the first period as Si'i notched five early points.
Si'i hit her second triple to put the Lions up 16-5, but the Royals rushed back with an 8-0 run – keyed by back-to-back threes from Jarrett and Salud – closing the gap to 16-13. Crabtree sank a three to push the Blue and Gold lead back to six. Salud hit her third three of the quarter as the Royals whittled the deficit to 19-18, but Akullu got a bucket to give VU a 21-18 lead in an entertaining first 10 minutes.
The second quarter played out similarly as the Lions widened their lead to double-digits before the Royals closed the deficit prior to halftime. VU completed an 11-0 run – scoring the first nine points of the second period – as Akullu scorched the Royals with three layups.
Armed with a 30-18 lead, the Lions maintained command on an Alexa Silva three-pointer and another Akullu layup. The latter bucket provided VU with a 35-23 advantage, but the Royals finished the half scoring nine of the final 13 points. HIU leaned largely on the triple to keep the game close after hitting eight from distance in the first half.
The Blue and Gold did not shoot particularly well in the third quarter, but stymied the Royals with a solid defensive effort. VU shot just 6 of 19 in the period, including 1 of 9 from three. However, HIU was just 2 of 15 overall, with 13 of those attempts coming from beyond the arc.
HIU went the first six minutes and 40 seconds without a point to start the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Blue and Gold opened up their largest lead of 18 points as Madanski scored five points, followed by six consecutive from Akullu.
Trailing 50-32, the Royals got back into the scoring column on two Shiane Talley free throws. VU allowed HIU to hit two late threes as the only blemish, but still held strong with a 52-40 lead at the end of three.
HIU continued to battle and snipped the deficit to as little as six points, as Talley's triple made it 56-50 at the 6:15 mark of the fourth period.
The Lions forced turnovers on the next two HIU possessions and Si'i banked in a layup for a 58-50 lead with 4:57 to go. Both teams went scoreless for the next two minutes, but Madanski hit a dagger three with 2:26 remaining as the Lions reclaimed their double-digit lead.
Jarrett and Salud's three-point prowess helped the Royals narrow their deficit to 66-60 with 30 ticks left on the clock, but the Lions hit 7 of 8 free throws over the final minute to complete the win.
Why Is It Important?: It was the eighth straight year that the Lions won their GSAC opener.
What Was Said?: "We did what we needed to do to get the win," said Head Coach Russ Davis. "Melissa and Sarah were huge. They haven't practiced because of different stuff and they really stepped up. We had a huge rebounding edge as well. We had shot only one free throw until the final minutes and did a nice job converting. Halle had 10 defensive rebounds and I really like that. Airiana had a big third quarter offensively. Mel was Mel – awesome."
What's Next?: The Lions host The Master's in the GSAC home opener this Saturday. Tip time is 5:30 p.m. at Orange Coast College.
