WICHITA, Kan. – Sarah Matossian posted career-highs of 28 points and 19 rebounds to help thrust No. 2 seed Vanguard past Saint Mary (Kan.) in an NAIA Women's Basketball Tournament First Round game on Friday.
Vanguard held Saint Mary to two points over the final six minutes and 10 seconds, scoring nine of the final 11 points to hold off the upstart 15th-seeded Spires in a 71-64 thriller at the Garvey Center.
Matossian had the kind of game normally reserved for two-time Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year Melissa Akullu, who battled foul trouble throughout the game and finished with 10 points and nine rebounds in just 28 minutes of action.
Playing all 40 minutes, the junior forward shot 9-of-17 overall and knocked down 5-of-6 from distance. She hit a huge three to put the Lions up 67-62 with 2:42 to play. She had eight points and seven rebounds in the fourth period to counteract Saint Mary, which had the score tied at 62-62 entering the closing stretch.
Halle Si'i also logged all 40 minutes and finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. She made four free throws over the final 1:29 to ice the game for the Lions.
Sophomore Jaryn Madsen scored 12 points on four three-point makes. VU finished 10-of-22 from beyond the arc, shooting better from distance (45.5%) than on two-point attempts – 34.8 percent (15-of-43).
Tanea Sims and Alanis Delgado notched 17 points apiece to lead the Spires. Delgado hit five of her team's eight threes.
VU improved to 21-5 overall and won a first round game in the NAIA postseason for the second straight year. The Spires ended their season at 25-7.
What Happened?: Vanguard blitzed Saint Mary's from the tip, racing out to an 8-0 lead. The Lions opened up their first double-digit margin at the 5:45 mark on Matossian's three, which put them ahead 18-6. Red hot Madsen hit her third triple of the quarter to extend the lead to 21-7, and the Lions led by as many as 19 when Matossian's trey made it 26-7.
However, the Spires scored the final seven points to close the gap to 26-14 at the end of the first period.
Vanguard endured a six-minute scoring drought in the second quarter that enabled Saint Mary to nibble away at the deficit. After Matossian's bucket gave the Blue and Gold a 34-23 lead at the 7:07 mark, the Spires used a pair of Demi Aamold threes to climb back within 34-29 with two and a half minutes remaining before halftime.
The damage could have been greater, but Saint Mary made just two of seven shots during the VU scoring funk. Kate Harter recorded three blocked shots for the Spires during their defensive stand. Saint Mary's got within 34-31 on Katelynn Ostronic's basket with 1:31 to go. The Lions eventually settled for a 39-34 lead at halftime.
VU maintained a six-point lead after three quarters as Matossian and Si'i helped the Lions narrowly outscore the Spires 18-17 in the third.
Saint Mary never led in the game, but created its first tie as a 9-3 run knotted the score at 60-60 to start the fourth. Sims scored six points in the first four minutes – her bucket keeping the score tied at 62-62 with 6:10 to play.
But that's when the Lions buckled down on defense – limiting the Spires to one more field goal the rest of the way – and getting five straight points from Matossian for a 67-62 advantage. Matossian snuck inside for a layup and hit a long attempt from 22 feet to give VU some wiggle room.
Akullu had five key rebounds in the fourth period for the Blue and Gold. She picked up two fouls in the first period and two more in the fourth. Her fourth foul occurred with 4:55 to go in the game.
Why Is It Important?: VU improved to 9-0 this season when hitting 10 or more three-pointers.
What Was Said?: "We had first game jitters today after a great start," said Head Coach Russ Davis. "Melissa getting in foul trouble was a challenge. We didn't adjust very well to the officiating today. Sarah played awesome and Halle was clutch down the stretch for us. Good win. We will have our hands full tomorrow."
What's Next?: The Lions face No. 7 seed Briar Cliff (Iowa) in the second round on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. (PT). Briar Cliff was an 81-67 winner over Mid-America Christian (Okla.) in the other first round matchup.
