IRVINE, Calif. – In the first matchup between both programs in nearly 10 years, senior Sarah Matossian took center stage, contributing to more than half of Vanguard's total points in a 75-57 win over CUI. The forward finished the Thursday night contest with a career-best 34 points on 14 of 19 shooting. She also added 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals to her standout stat line.

The Lions have now won seven of their last eight games and improve to 8-5 and 6-1 in the PacWest Conference. CUI drops to 1-13 and 0-7 in the league.

Ashlin Crabtree was the second Lion in double figures, scoring 11 on 3-5 from three-point range. She also earned five rebounds. Halle Si'I played the role of prime facilitator, finishing with eight points and a season-high eight assists. Emma Schaaf secured seven points and seven rebounds.

The Blue and Gold displayed an impressive offensive showing, shooting 57 (30 of 52) percent  from the field. They were selective from deep, attempting a season-low 13 threes, but converting them at a rate of 46.2 (6 of 13) percent. VU was also a dominant +38 in points in the paint (48-10). Both teams were tidy in their limited trips to the free throw line, as VU shot 81.8 (9 of 11) percent and CUI had a season-best 90.9 (10 of 11) percent from the charity stripe.

What Happened?: Matossian scored the first 13 VU points on a back-and-forth affair inside the CU Arena. The Golden Eagles made three treys in the first quarter to help them match pace with VU.  Akilah Kubi forced a steal and waltzed down the red carpet for an easy layup to set Vanguard up 15-11. Vanguard's defensive zone was especially problematic for CUI in the first quarter, as the Lions forced eight of the 16 total Concordia turnovers in the period.

Si'I had the first bucket of the second quarter with a selfless pass from Hudson in transition. Jaryn Madsen ended the game with eight points and hit her first three-pointer to put VU up nine (31-22). While CUI's steady shooting touch from beyond the arc continued, there was no answer for Matossian, who ended the half with 22 points.

The Lions were frigid to start the second half as the Golden Eagles surged to a 7-0 to cut the VU lead to 38-36. The Blue and Gold worked a patient possession from the left side, as a gorgeous Matossian pass to a cutting Madsen ended the drought and CUI run. Crabtree's finish on a dribble drive and Schaaf's connection at the free throw line capitalized the Lions' 7-0 run response of their own.

Vanguard pulled away comfortably in the fourth quarter outscoring the Golden Eagles 24-16. They shot a scalding 71.4 (10 of 14) percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three. Si'i scored the final VU points of the night, as CUI's late triples finished the evening of PacWest action.

What's Next?: Vanguard will finish their road trip by visiting the defending champions, Azusa Pacific, on Wednesday, January 15 at 5:30 p.m.