MONTECITO, Calif. – Vanguard women's basketball outscored Westmont 41-28 in the second half to turn a close game into a comfortable 17-point victory on Wednesday at Murchison Gymnasium.

The 71-54 victory lifted Vanguard's record to 16-7 overall and 14-3 in the PacWest. The Lions own sole possession of second place in the conference, one game behind leader Point Loma.

VU has held nine straight opponents under 60 points. The Lion defense limited the Warriors to 28.6 (18 of 63) percent shooting, including just 4 of 21 from three-point territory. 

The Blue and Gold shot 51.8 (29 of 56) percent overall, making 21 of their 33 attempts from inside the arc. As a result, VU enjoyed a 36-22 points in the paint advantage.

Halle Si'i scored 14 of her game-high 23 points in the second half, finishing 9 of 20 overall from the field. She flirted with a triple-double, posting nine rebounds and a game-high eight assists.

Ashlin Crabtree scored 16 points – knocking down 4 of 6 from distance – and extending her streak with at least one three-pointer to 12 straight games.

The third Lion in double figures was freshman Emma Schaaf, who collected nine of her 13 points in the second half. She shot an efficient 6 of 8 from the floor to go along with seven rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals.

Jaryn Madson scored all nine of her points on three-pointers, while Sarah Matossian chipped in six points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

VU shot nearly 60 percent in the second half, which helped turn a four-point halftime lead into a 13-point bulge midway through the third period.

What Happened?: Leading 30-26 at halftime, the Lions hit nine of their first 11 shots to begin the third quarter.

The 21-5 VU blitz created a 51-31 lead at the 3:05 mark. Schaaf had seven points and Si'i four during the run, as well as threes from Madsen and Crabtree. Meanwhile, the Warriors started the period 1 of 10 from the floor.

VU maintained its 20-point lead at 53-33 on a Si'i layup, but Westmont scored the final six points to cut the deficit to 53-39 heading into the fourth quarter.

Westmont scored the first four points of the final period to extend its run to 10-0. Si'i squashed the rally with a layup with 7:42 on the clock. Crabtree knocked down another three and Schaaf scored inside to build VU's lead back to 17 with five and a half minutes to go.

The Warriors never threatened from there. Si'i reeled off six straight points for the Lions late as VU tucked away the 71-54 triumph. VU led by double digits for the final 16 minutes of the game.

VU trailed for the last time at 13-12 after Westmont's Sage Kramer hit a jumper with four minutes left in the first period. Crabtree's second three gave VU the lead for good at 15-13. VU had a 17-15 lead after one period.

The two teams stayed close throughout the second quarter. Madsen canned a three to push VU's lead to six, but Kramer's answer got the Warriors within 30-26 at halftime.

What Was Said?: "The team stepped up tonight and got a great win over a team that gave us our only home loss of the season," said Head Coach Russ Davis. "We were really focused and determined to get the "W" and earned it. Halle played a great game tonight and made some huge plays. Eight assists and nine defensive boards to go along with her game-high 23 points was clutch. Ashlyn hit some huge shots for us to get us a nice lead. Westmont is always good and especially at home.  Great job team. Proud of ya."

What's Next?: A battle for first place in the PacWest is ahead as Vanguard travels to Point Loma this Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. game.