COSTA MESA--- Vanguard women's basketball (5-4, 3-0) trailed for two quarters but rallied back in the final ten minutes to top Cal State San Marcos (0-9, 0-3) and deny the Cougars their first win of the season. The Tuesday evening non-conference match saw VU shoot just 30.4% (17-56) from the field in the game, but the lineup got clinical in the fourth quarter, outscoring CSUSM 21-12. The Lions shot 42% (5-12) from the field in the frame, 50% (2-4) from three, and 90% (9-10) from the free throw line in the closing interval. The Lions survive a scare to win their fifth in a row and improve to 10-0 in the all-time series against CSUSM.
Halle Si'i had a game-high 20 points and six rebounds. She took a season-high 14 free throws, going 10-14 while earning her seventh career game with at least 20 points.
Sarah Matossian closed her second straight double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Ashlin Crabtree went from 3-5 from deep and finished with nine points, two rebounds, and two assists.
Emma Schaaf tallied seven points and five rebounds.
Both teams shot well below their season averages from the free throw line, with Vanguard going 15-25 (60%) and the Cougars dipping to a season-low 7-14 (50%). Vanguard was out-rebounded for the third time this season, as CSUSM led 48-37 in boards. The Cougars also led in bench points 26-5, but VU took advantage of fast break opportunities (11-2).
What Happened? Vanguard opened on a 9-0 run with five coming from Schaaf. The freshman also snagged a block in transition before Si'i shot the score up to 11-2. VU remained scoreless for the rest of the quarter, as CSUSM launched a 15-0 stretch, which expanded into the next quarter to go up 17-11 with 8:08 left in the half.
The Blue and Gold went 0-8 from deep before
Alexa Silva found Crabtree for a triple to stop the Cougar run. Matossian attacked at the blocks and brought the game back within one on a jumper (17-16 CSUSM), but Cal State San Marcos won the quarter overall 18-10, shooting 41% (7-17) and leading at the break 26-21. The Lions went 0-5 from the charity stripe in the second 10-minute stretch.
Each team scored 13 points in the third quarter, but VU's 23% shooting (3-13) to CSUSM's 42% (5-12) made it a sour start to the second half. The Cougars kicked off proceedings with an 8-0 run to claim their largest lead at 13 (34-21) with 7:10 remaining.
Aryanna Hudson stuck a triple from the left corner, followed by a Crabtree trey to gnaw at the Cougar blockade. Si'i scored the final four points of the quarter for VU from the free throw line to give the Blue and Gold a 39-34 deficit heading into the fourth.
Vanguard took ownership of the game with a dominant fourth quarter, outscoring CSUSM 21-12 and holding the Cougars to 0-5 from three-point range.
Hunter Simon's seven-minute spark gave structure to a stalwart defensive display as the forward put together four rebounds and two blocks. Matossian sunk two triples in a row, including a tough three-pointer late in the shot clock to propel VU to a 40-39 lead. It marked the first Vanguard lead since 9:03 in the second quarter. Despite that, the Blue and Gold swept into the lead when it mattered most and would not trail again. The Lions finished off the game at the foul line, hitting seven of their last eight free throws to secure the the comeback win.
What's Next? Vanguard's three-game homestand ends with a Pacific West Conference match against Jessup on December 21 at 12 p.m.
