NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Down six with less than two minutes to go against Hope International, the Vanguard women's basketball team appeared destined to fall further back in the Golden State Athletic Conference race for supremacy.
But don't tell that to Halle Si'i.
During a weekend in which VU Athletics inducted its 2024 Hall of Fame class – and with newly enshrined former women's hoops player Kelly (Boeke) Walters in attendance – it only seemed fitting for Si'i to make a legendary shot, a signature shot that typically ends up on the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10.
The Royals opened the door for her heroics, missing six straight free throws over the final 26 seconds. Trailing 64-61 with six ticks on the clock, the Lions benefited from the second of two misfires at the stripe by HIU's Madeleine Salud as the rebound caromed to Sarah Matossian.
Matossian got the ball to Si'i, and the sophomore point guard did the rest. She raced up the court from right to left, avoided two Royal defenders, and lofted a 30-footer that splashed through the net in front of the Blue and Gold bench.
Pandemonium ensued as VU's teammates mobbed Si'i on the Corona Del Mar High School hardwood, her three-point buzzer-beating shot tying the game at 64-64 and creating overtime for the gleeful fans in attendance.
The Lions outscored the Royals (13-6, 5-4) 17-9 in the extra period, and Si'i completed an unbelievable night with career-highs of 34 points and five three-pointers in the 81-73 victory.
"When I looked at the clock and we had six seconds left and we were down three, I said 'this is the moment that my team needs me,'" said Si'i. "When I shot it, it felt really good and as I was watching it go in, I said 'we're going into overtime.' Those are the moments that I'm made for on this team. I'm supposed to lead them in those moments."
Lead them she did, as Si'i combined to score 22 of her 34 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. The All-American shot 11 of 26 overall, including 5 of 10 from distance, and added six rebounds, five assists and a steal while playing the final six minutes of the game with four fouls.
VU held a monumental 56-35 edge in rebounds, with Melissa Akullu and Matossian nearly out rebounding the entire Royal roster on their own. The duo combined for 33 boards, with Matossian grabbing a career-high 17 to go along with six points and three steals.
She fouled out with 4:43 remaining in overtime, giving Brittney Tran a chance to shine. The redshirt freshman guard had a key defensive rebound in overtime, setting up an Airiana Madanski three-pointer that gave the Lions the lead for good.
Akullu was her usual self despite receiving constant attention, finishing with 20 points, 16 rebounds and three steals. It was her 11th straight double-double and 15th of the season.
Sophomore Jaryn Madsen finished with 10 points, including a crucial three-pointer that extended VU's lead to seven in the extra period with less than a minute remaining.
The Lions overcame 14 HIU three-pointers on 44 attempts, with Shiane Talley and Shailissa Jarrett knocking down four apiece. Talley led the Royals with a team-high 25 points.
VU improved to 14-4 overall and 7-2 in the GSAC, and moved to within one game of league-leading Menlo. Arizona Christian's 80-74 upset of the Oaks in overtime dropped Menlo to 8-1 in conference play.
What Happened?: The Royals outscored the Lions 20-12 over the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter, leaning on the three-pointer to build a 61-54 lead. Five different Royals sank six triples during that stretch, with Jarrett hitting two.
Si'i knocked down a triple to pull the Lions within 61-57 with 2:48 to go, and Jarrett was whistled for her fourth foul the next trip down the floor.
The Royals shot 7 of 10 from distance in the fourth quarter – Anyah Shamburger hitting HIU's seventh with 1:42 to go – and lengthening the visitor lead to 64-58 with 1:42 remaining. However, the Royals would not score again in regulation.
Si'i made another important play as she drove hard to her left and drew contact on Jarrett, who felt that she had blocked the shot attempt cleanly. However, Si'i made 1 of 2 at the line to narrow VU's deficit to 64-59 with 52 seconds on the clock. But more importantly, Jarrett fouled out on the play, and HIU missed her presence the remainder of the game.
VU was forced to foul being down five with the clock not on its side. The Lions had committed only two fouls to that point and purposely fouled three times within 13 seconds to send the Royals into the bonus.
Mia Heidt missed two free throws with 26 seconds left, and Si'i drove aggressively to the bucket to draw a foul on Talley. Si'i sank both freebies as VU trailed 64-61 with 19 seconds on the clock.
After an HIU timeout, the Lions fouled Talley, and she misfired on her two attempts at the line. Seeking the game-tying three, Madsen missed from long range but the Lions retained possession after a Royal knocked the loose ball out of bounds. Unfortunately, Madsen was whistled for an offensive foul on the inbounds play.
HIU then got a third opportunity to ice the game following Tran's foul on Salud with seven seconds remaining. Salud missed both free throws, enabling Si'i to hit perhaps the most thrilling shot of her Lion career.
Momentum firmly in hand, the Lions seized control in overtime as Si'i drew the defense and kicked the ball out to Madanski, who swished a triple from the left corner and created a 70-68 Lion lead. That kickstarted a game-ending 14-5 run.
Shamburger made a tough shot to bring the Royals within two, drawing a foul from Akullu on the play. But she was unable to complete the three-point play, missing the team's 10th free throw with 2:28 to go.
HIU finished 7 of 17 (41.2%) at the free throw line for the game.
Si'i missed a jumper on the next VU possession, but Akullu yanked down her ninth offensive rebound. Keira McNamee fouled the senior center while jousting for the rebound, and Akullu canned both free throws to give the Blue and Gold a 74-70 lead.
The Royals had two shots to narrow the deficit to one, but missed both three-point attempts. On a feed from Si'i, Madsen drained the dagger triple to extend VU's lead to 77-70 with 36 seconds remaining.
That forced the Royals to foul, and Si'i obliged by going 4 of 4 at the foul line to finish out the 81-73 victory.
The Lions forged a 22-14 lead after one period thanks to 57.1 (4 of 7) percent shooting from distance. The Royals outscored VU 14-9 in the second quarter as the Lions shot just 26.7 (4 of 15) percent overall, including 1 of 7 from three-point territory.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions set a season-high in total rebounds (56) and posted their second-best rebound margin (+21) this season.
What's Next?: Vanguard has an opportunity to pull even with Menlo atop the GSAC standings with a showdown in Atherton on tap. The Lions and Oaks will battle on Thursday, February 8 at 5:30 p.m.
