SURPRISE, Ariz. – The Vanguard men's basketball team followed a familiar, haunting script that has had a beleaguering effect throughout Golden State Athletic Conference play.
Fall behind by double-digit points in the first half.
Make a spirited comeback.
Lose the battle on the boards and at the foul line, coming up just short at the end.
The Lions did all three again in Thursday's 93-86 loss at OUAZ's Faith Arena. In falling to 4-9 in GSAC play, the Lions were eliminated from GSAC Tournament contention.
VU has lost seven of its last eight games. Four of those conference losses have come by seven points or less.
In two defeats to OUAZ this season, the Lions gave up a combined 29 offensive rebounds. VU has surrendered double-digit offensive rebounds in 11 of 13 conference games.
OUAZ outrebounded VU 40-28, including 14-5 on the offensive end. The Spirit held a 20-6 advantage in second chance points.
Sophomore Bryson Metz had a phenomenal game for the Lions, posting a career-high 22 points on 8 of 15 shooting. He sank three triples, and added four rebounds and a steal in 34 minutes.
Guard Phillip Willis added 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting, including five three-pointers. He tied for game-high rebounding honors with nine, and he also blocked a pair of shots.
Anthony Tello tallied 10 points, five rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and three steals as the junior guard was active in all phases.
The Lions shot extremely well, finishing at 53.2 (33 of 62) percent overall and 39.1 (9 of 23) percent from distance.
OUAZ also hit above 50 percent from the field, making 31 of 61 shots – 50.8 percent. The Spirit also paraded to the free throw line all game and took 31 attempts, making 23 for 74.2 percent. VU was 11 of 16 from the foul line for the game.
Five Spirit tallied double-digit points, with 46 of the 93 points coming from bench players Elijah Simmons and Lachlan VIney. Simmons led all scorers with 27 points. Simmons and Viney combined to shoot 19 of 26 from the floor.
What Happened?: The Lions trailed just 17-14 when OUAZ went on a 10-1 run to open up 27-15 lead with 11:09 to go in the first half.
VU still trailed by double digits as a three-point play from Jayce Catchings upped OUAZ's lead to 33-21 with 8:13 remaining.
Trailing 35-25, the Lions erupted on an 11-0 run to grab a 36-35 advantage as Metz canned back-to-back three-pointers, followed by another trey from Willis.
The two teams traded points and Mitchell Prevost's layup tied the score at 44-44 going into halftime.
The Blue and Gold were the aggressors to start the second half, building a 52-47 lead as Jackson Larsen began the half with two inside buckets, followed by two straight jumpers from Metz.
But the Spirit collected offensive rebounds on three different possessions, sparking an 11-0 run. Viney and Simmons waltzed their way to the rim repeatedly as OUAZ led 58-52.
Metz briefly stopped the surge with two free throws to pull the Lions within four, but Simmons was too much to handle. He scored 15 points over a four-minute span and suddenly the Spirit built another double-digit lead. Simmons got inside for a layup as OUAZ was up 68-56 with 10:50 to go.
The Lions trailed by as many as 14 before scoring seven in a row to cut OUAZ's lead to 72-65 at the 7:01 mark.
VU did not quit, and Larsen cut the deficit to 81-77 after making 1 of 2 free throws with 3:50 left. Metz hit a layup on the break to keep VU within striking distance at 85-81 with 1:52 on the clock.
But the Spirit went 13 of 18 at the line over the last five minutes to withstand the Lion push.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions gave the Spirit too many extra possessions to pull out the victory.
What's Next?: VU finishes out the 2023-24 season and plays what could amount to its final game at the NAIA level, traveling to No. 24 Arizona Christian on Saturday. Tip time is 1:00 p.m. (PT).
