SANTA CLARITA, Calif. -- Vanguard men's basketball looked to get back into the main peloton in the Golden State Athletic Conference on Thursday night against The Master's Mustangs.  Unfortunately, the Mustangs made their shots early and often, and while the Lions were able to hold their own in the second period, they never held a lead in the game, falling 76-62.  VU drops to 13-8 overall and 3-5 in the GSAC, while TMU improves to 16-6, 5-3.
 
What Happened? The Mustangs were ahead by six points within two minutes of action, with two turnovers by the Lions hampering their efforts.  The early woes would continue for the Blue and Gold, as it would take over six minutes of action until Preston Sims made a layup for the first Vanguard basket.  Though trailing, the defensive effort deserved some praise for the Lions,  as the squad held the Mustangs to only nine points over the opening six minutes.
 
But TMU would grow its lead rapidly after the first media timeout, though Jackson Larsen helped the Lions bring it down to 12-7 at the 11:32 mark after four unanswered points for the big man.  A tip-in for Pape Cisse and two free throw conversions for Bryson Metz brought the gap down to 19-11 with 8:22 to go in the half, but VU went cold again.  Conversely, the Mustangs would go on a 12-0 run over the next six minutes to increase their lead to 31-11.  VU put up four points over the final minute of the half, but a three at the buzzer for The Master's gave the home side a halftime lead of 37-17.
 
The Lions shot 19.4% from the floor in the first frame and missed all six shots from downtown.  TMU went 15-for-32 from the field in the first period for a 46.9% shooting rate, including six three-pointers.
 
The shooting metrics for the Lions improved in the second half, but the hole was too deep.  Phillip Willis opened the scoring in the second frame by burying a jumper, with layups from Metz and Anthony Tello bringing the deficit to 37-23.  A free throw by Larsen brought the score to 37-24 at the 17:24 mark, but sadly, that would be as close as Vanguard would get to the Mustangs until 51 ticks left on the clock.   TMU would quickly respond with a 10-5 stretch to put the gap back to 19 points.
 
The Mustangs would lead by as much as 25 just past the midway point of the second, and though they would not catch their hosts, the Lions at least found some positives down the stretch.  VU outscored the Mustangs 22-15 during the final 7:17 of the contest, but The Master's would take the win 76-62 at the final horn. 
 
The Lions increased their shooting percentage to 34.8% from the floor for the contest and made five threes in the second frame to end with a 31.3% conversion rate.  The squad went 11-of-23 from the free-throw line.  TMU was efficient in both halves and shot at a 46.8% mark for the game.  The Lions had one of their better rebounding nights, as VU won the offensive rebound battle 11-8, though they were behind in defense boards 39-29.
 
Tello had 12 points to lead the lineup, with Willis and Sims next at 11 points apiece.  Willis had a team-high seven rebounds and Larsen and Mitchell Prevost were second with five each.  Willis also paced the Lions with three assists on the night.
  
 
What was Said?  "The Master's played a great game at home," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday.  "Anytime you get outscored as a team by one guy at halftime, that's not a great recipe for success.  No time to feel sorry for ourselves, as we have a really good Hope team coming in Saturday."
 
 
What's Next?  The Lions return home for a meeting with Hope International on Saturday, February 3, at 6:00 p.m.  The Lions will be hosting the Royals at Corona Del Mar High School.