COSTA MESA – Women's basketball came together for a Senior Day win against Menlo on Saturday in the Freed Center, outlasting the Oaks 65-58 in an action-packed finale to the season.
The Lions traded blows with the Oaks (16-11, 12-8) as both teams split two quarters between them. VU's third-quarter burst – outscoring Menlo 32-15 – became the game's most influential. Menlo dominated the final period to nearly spoil the senior day celebration.
The Blue and Gold ended their first NCAA Division II season 18-8 overall and 16-4 in the PacWest Conference. The debutants finish second in the PacWest standings, ending the campaign as the best defense in the league (56.7 ppg) and boasting the second-best home record at 11-1. The Lions also said their farewells to four key seniors both on and off the court, as they honored Sarah Matossian, Alexa Silva, Faith Boss and Melia Johnson before the game.
Jaryn Madsen stole the show in the third quarter, scoring all 20 of her points and shooting 5 of 6 from three. The guard would also close out the day with five rebounds and five steals, and she shot a perfect 5 of 5 at the free throw line.
Aryanna Hudson took control off the bench with 16 points on 6 of 7 shooting. Emma Schaaf went for 11 points, six rebounds and one block. Matossian connected for seven points, six rebounds and three assists. Halle Si'i claimed a match-high eight assists, as well as eight rebounds.
Menlo's Jordyn Rosette led all scorers with 23 points on 10 of 19 shooting from the floor.
What Happened?: Though Vanguard would go on to make double-digit threes (11 of 31) for the 12th time this season, the Blue and Gold could not catch rhythm in the first quarter. Luckily for the Lions, Menlo was likewise cold, as both shot a combined 7 of 31 from the field and 0 of 9 from deep in the first period. Schaaf and Matossian had eight of the 10 VU points, all of which came in the paint.
The Blue and Gold were headstrong to start the second quarter with a corner three from Ashlin Crabtree and five straight points from Hudson putting VU up 18-8. Like the opening interval, it was a VU pair to carry the scoring load as Hudson and Crabtree would continue their push to score 16 of the next 18 VU points and hoist the lead to 26-12. VU, which forced seven turnovers out of the Oaks in the first quarter, was pressured into 10 of their own to turn the second period on its head. VU turned it over on four of its final five possessions, as the Oaks went on a 15-4 run to make it a three-point game at the half.
The Madsen barrage began on the first bucket of the second half, as the junior clipped a trey in rhythm. The Lions earned another three-ball through Silva – and Madsen soon after cashed in on a four-point opportunity to finish a 12-0 VU start to the quarter. Madsen would go on to make three more three-pointers, which included a splash with one second left in the frame. MC's respectable 45.4 (5 of 11) percent shooting in the quarter was overshadowed by VU making 10 of 16 shots overall, including 8 of 12 from three-point range.
The Lions' best quarter in the game was followed by their worst, as the fourth period saw the Oaks outscore the Lions 16-3. VU connected on just one field goal (1 of 12) and went 0 of 7 from downtown. Menlo scored the first 12 points of the quarter before Schaaf netted the only VU points on a three-point play. Matossian's foul trouble kept her out of large stints of the second half, but her return at the 6:53 mark of the quarter helped steady the ship, as the Lions ended the season with a win on their home floor.
