SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Vanguard's (3-1) three-game road trip to prepare for conference play tipped off with a 72-61 win over San Francisco State (0-3), Saturday afternoon at the SFFCU Gymnasium at Don Nasser Family Plaza. The Blue and Gold were indomitable on the boards, winning the rebound war 45-28, and claiming 20 boards on the offensive glass, the most in a single game since Jan 21. 2023.

VU shot below their usual field goal percentage but were aided by five players breaching double figures, the most in a single game so far this season. Leading the team was Bryson Metz and Dylan Swillis, who both made five field goals to collect 14 points and six rebounds each.

Carson Frawley shot 50% (5-10) from the floor and hit three triples for 13 points. Tony Colley was the next highest scorer, coming off the bench to score 11 points (4-8) and grab seven rebounds.

Erik Howlin was the last double-digit scorer for the Lions, clipping six of his 10 points at the foul line. Aibigho Ujadughele tied his career-high of eight rebounds and also led the team with five offensive boards.

Vanguard held the most commanding leads in bench points (26-14) and fast break points (14-2). The Lions are also +32 in total rebounds over their last two matches.

What Happened? The game started almost exclusively at the free throw line, with more than half of the points between the sides coming from the charity stripe for a 7-6 SFSU lead. Metz hit a three-ball to put the Lions back in front, and Howlin tacked on a midrange jumper to place the score at 11 apiece. Swillis ran downhill to the cup to lock in another tie (13-13) heading into the first media timeout.

Devin Carson's drive and kickout pass gave Colley room to knock down another three-pointer. Then the Lions cranked up the pace, building a lead through their 9-0 first half tally in fast break points.

The Lions sped out to a 15-7 run to climb up to a 28-20 lead. Frawley found eight points during the push, including back-to-back treys in transition and a big-time slam on the break.

The Gators managed to recover with a 51% (14-28) shooting rate from the floor across the first half. They downed 50% (4-8) of their final shots to make it a one-point game (39-38 VU) with 42 seconds left in the frame.

Metz scored five of the last seven Lion points to restore a four-point buffer heading into the break (42-38 VU). His final bucket was an offensive rebound and quickfire jumper with three seconds left to finish the half.

Both teams cooled down in the second half, combining for 53 points, compared to 80 in the previous period. SF State shot 33% (9-27) from the field, while VU only hit one of their 16 three-point attempts (6%) in the final 20 minutes.

Pape Cisse opened the scoring with a one-two punch from Howlin at the rim. The big man netted another bucket two possessions later, this time with a solo effort in the paint (48-44 VU) with 15:36 left to go.

VU's offense went dry for the next three minutes, as the Gators gained ground on a 7-2 run to take a one-point lead (51-50). The Lions leapt back however with an 8-2 response. Howlin converted a three-point play at the line out of the media timeout, and Frawley hit VU's only trey of the period to go up five (58-53 VU).

The Blue and Gold hit shots in open play through Colley's race down the lane and Carson's tip-in (60-59). With the scoreline nearly landlocked, VU earned separation at the charity stripe, shooting 9-11 (81%). They also broke through late with a pair of paint points and with a 1:25 left carved the lead back to double-figures with free throws from Metz, Howlin, and Swillis.

What's Next? The Lions head to Washington for a two-game stretch starting with Seattle Pacific on Friday, Nov. 28, at 2 p.m.