COSTA MESA -- Make it two wins on island time for Vanguard women's basketball, as the Lions took down the Sharks of Hawaii Pacific 72-61 Thursday night.  It was not all smooth waters for the Lions, who saw HPU dive deep for a comeback attempt, closing the score to just five points in the final period.  Yet the Blue and Gold did not allow the comeback to be completed, restoring the gap to 10 points in short order to preserve the victory.  Vanguard improved to 11-2 overall and 7-1 in the Pacific West Conference, while HPU dropped to 3-11, 2-6.
 
Emma Schaaf led the Lions in scoring for the second time in three games, as she posted 21 points, including a 4-for-7 performance from beyond the arc.  VU capitalized on HPU fouls, as the Lions went 23-for-31 from the charity stripe compared to HPU's 10-for-10 mark.
 
What Happened?  It was two free throws that got VU on the board to open the game, as Kaylee Byon went 2-for-2 after making a drive and getting hit on the arm.  The Sharks answered with a jumper, but Akilah Kubi knocked down a mid-range effort, and Schaaf buried a three to put the lead at 7-2 just a few minutes in.  And that was just the opening phase of the run, as for the next six minutes, Vanguard dominated the contest.  VU piled on the points until the squad was ahead 23-4 with 2:33 left in the frame.  The Sharks got a three soon thereafter, but the Lions were comfortably ahead by 18 points (27-9) after 10 minutes.  VU shot 64.3% from the floor (9-of-14), 55.5% from deep (5-9), and made all four free throws.  The Sharks were left with a 28.5% shooting rate in the period.
 
The slash by the Lions put HPU in desperation mode, and the home side got some air in its gills in the second quarter.  Kayla Boozer scored a free throw for the only Vanguard point for the first nine minutes of the quarter.  The Sharks, meanwhile, pocketed 12 points during that span to trim the deficit to seven at 28-21.  The Blue and Gold had a quality final minute to salvage the half, starting with Schaaf nailing a trey while getting fouled, making the and-one to get the lead up to 31-21.  Halle Si'i also splashed down from deep, though Hawaii Pacific notched one in reply with 20 seconds left to put the halftime score at 34-24.
 
Vanguard dropped to a 14.3% shooting rate in the second, while Hawaii Pacific improved to 60%. 
 
Schaaf dropped in another three and then a tidy layup to start the scoring in the third, with Micaela Hanning generating an assist on the fast-break layup.  A three from Aryanna Hudson and a Byon floater put VU up 44-26, and the advantage remained around 10-13 points for the rest of the quarter.  Byon sunk another jumper later in the frame, and Shayla O'Neil tallied a free throw and a three off another Hanning pass to put the Vanguard lead at 52-39 entering the final frame.
 
The Sharks had made two free throws in the second and third quarters, and went 6-6 in the fourth, with four of those coming in the first three minutes of the interval.  Combined with a triple and a layup, the Lions' edge dropped to 54-48.  However, the Sharks could not stop fouling themselves, as Kubi, Schaaf, and Byon banked in free throws to get the lead up to 59-50.  A layup by HPU put the gap at 60-55, but the free throws awarded to Vanguard were made as the minutes ticked down, and a Si'i layup restored the lead to 10 at 65-55 with 1:38 to go.  A Hanning layup and some more free throws from Byon and Si'i countered every bite from the Sharks, which delivered the Vanguard win.
 
Vanguard shot 40.8% from the floor for the night, with a 9-for-27 performance (33.3%) from deep.  The Sharks had a 43.1% rate from the field and also had a 33.3% mark from deep (7-21).  VU used 21 HPU turnovers to score 25 points.  Kubi's defense was a big part of the win, as she led all players with seven rebounds and five steals.  Byon had 14 points and made all 10 of her free throws, while Hudson went 3-for-7 from downtown. 
 
Why is it Important?  The win keeps Vanguard tied for first with Azusa Pacific, with PLNU next at 8-2.
 
What was Said?  "We started off strong, and after that, we got away from what we were supposed to do and lost focus on our plan," said Head Coach Russ Davis.  "Always great to get a road win in this conference, but we need to keep improving, and I believe we will."

What is Next?  The Lions play at Hawaii Hilo Saturday at 6:00 p.m. PT.