SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Men's basketball succumbed to another tight loss, as Westmont won on senior night 68-65 Wednesday inside Murchison Gymnasium. Despite the Warriors leading large segments of the match, VU maintained a kept in touch throughout the contest with a commanding 38-14 lead in points in the paint. The final two minutes of game time, however, settled the score, as a Westmont three-pointer sparked a 7-4 WC run to hand the Warriors their win. The Lions drop to 11-12 overall and 5-12 in the Pacific West Conference, while Westmont moves to 13-13, 11-7, as their sixth straight win plants them in position for a potential postseason berth.
Anthony Tello did some of everything for VU, earning 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He also had five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.
Leonard Turner made it two straight games with a double-double, tallying 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Chris Chiles connected for nine points, while
Jackson Larsen had six points and two blocks.
Bryson Metz shot 4-for-8 from the field to reach eight points and three assists.
Aibigho Ujadughele netted five points, six rebounds, and three assists.
For the second game in a row, the Blue and Gold held their opponent under 40% shooting from the field, however, VU once again struggled to find a groove from deep. The Lions shot just 2-of-14 (14.3%) from downtown, while Westmont hit 12-30 (40%) from beyond the arc. VU won the team categories of steals (7-2), turnovers forced (14-8), and points in the paint (38-14). WC took the bout in assists (17-10) and rebounds (39-36).
What Happened? Both squads struggled to get a basket down the well at the dawning of the game, as the pair shot a combined 4-15 in the early stages. Tello got the ball rolling for VU after three and a half minutes, triggering a three-point play with a drive and switch to his right hand. His long two-pointer from the left side and a layup on the feed from Chiles gave him all the Lions' opening seven points for a 7-7 ballgame. Blocked earlier in the half, Turner returned the favor with a two-hand rejection to halt WC in transition and send the game into the media timeout.
After the break, the lid off the rim slowly seemed to creak open for both teams. WC pitched a 5-0 run, but Larsen wheeled inside the paint to pull one back. The Tello and Turner two-man game also continued to spell trouble for the Warriors. Tello bolstered a defensive stop to send VU the other way, as Turner drove baseline and finished another Lion three-point opportunity at the line to make it 25-20 Westmont. The Lions finished the half on a 12-7 run, with Chiles scoring off an offensive rebound,
Robert Aguirre Jr. sinking a three in transition, and Tello and Ujadughele finding buckets on the drive.
The Lions shot 50% (15-30) from the floor in the second half but only took two free throws (2-2) to the Warriors' nine (9-9). VU also remained cold from deep, going 1-for-7 for the final 20 minutes. Like the first half, Tello had the first two baskets for the Lions in the new interval. A push by Turner on the break hoisted the Lions up 40-37 before Westmont drilled a trey to lock the score at 40. The game remained tight with VU marking their largest separation with a 53-49 lead at the 7:01 slot.
VU led just once more in the final seven minutes as the Warriors claimed the role of pace setters. After a Blue and Gold turnover, Westmont hit a big three to go up 64-61 with 2:14 remaining. VU missed their next two efforts to pinch back, with Metz finally scoring on their third try to make it a one-point game (64-63 WC). On the next possession, a late whistle on a loose ball put Westmont at the free throw line, as VU was ultimately unable to recover and tie the scoreline with a three-pointer in the closing moments.
What's Next? The Lions travel to the Golden Gymnasium to take on #17 Point Loma, on Saturday, February 22 at 2 pm.
