COSTA MESA – After trailing by three at the interval, men's basketball took the reins in the final 20 minutes of action, towering over Westmont with a 49-30 second-half burst to spearhead an 80-64 win at the Freed Center. The Lions shot a blazing 55% (17-31) from the floor in the second frame, hit all 13 of their free throws, and committed a season-low five turnovers to spotlight their first win of the new year.

The Tuesday night Pacific West Conference result was VU's first victory over Westmont in over three years (Dec. 2022), bringing them to 7-4, 3-2, and leapfrogging the Warriors to charge into fourth place in the league. WC suffers its second successive loss and drops to 6-6, 3-3.

Erik Howlin led the pack with 19 points (7-10 FG) in 31 minutes. The transfer is averaging 21 points per game over his last three matches.

Bryson Metz and Devin Carson each had 12 points on the evening, with the birthday man in Carson going a perfect 4-4 from deep.

Kailen Rains, Carson Frawley, and Dylan Swillis all netted eight points, with Swillis finding his groove in the paint and Frawley firing all eight points in just seven minutes of action.

What Happened? VU appeared coy in their first home match of 2026, with an 0-5 start from the field, allowing an exuberant Westmont to wield a 7-0 cushion going into the first media timeout. Metz finally carved the opening to get the hosts on their way, setting up Howlin for the first Lion bucket and scoring seven straight points for a 9-9 score with 14:25 to play.

Drifting into the middle portion of the first period, both teams showed why they rank among the top three defensive units in the league. The pairing allowed just five made baskets between them in the next five minutes of gametime, splitting four steals, three turnovers, and a block to stagger the scoring to 17-15 VU (9:06). Carson was the highlight for the Lions during the dense defensive window, pinning one trey from the right wing and nailing another three from the left corner.

Carson's hothand proved to be infectious around the three-point arc as Tony Colley knocked down a three on the catch-and-shoot dish from Sammy Howlin. Frawley tacked on another three-ball for the Blue and Gold from the right corner as the Lions trailed by one 24-23 (6:29).

Westmont remained at the helm of the slower-paced first half, primarily due to their dominance on the boards. They claimed a commanding 23-9 advantage in rebounding to hold ownership of a 10-8 run in the closing stages of the half, sending them up by three (34-31) at the break. Carson hit the last three-pointer for the Lions, to cap off a palatable 6-14 (43%) team clip from deep in the first half.

The Blue and Gold's second-half ascendance took little time to show its face in the second period. The Lions kicked off an 11-0 run to push Westmont into the back seat and take an eight-point lead (42-34) with 15:51 to go. Metz initiated the spark with a five-point burst of his own, then a steal and solo break from Rains quickly ran up the score. Pape Cisse also scored within the run, cushioning a tidy spin hook past his defender.

The Warriors attempted to answer but struggled to execute their half-court sets. Rains continued to lead the transition from defensive in the back court, to quickfire offensive on the break (48-38) with 13:05 to play.

The Lion bench, which outscored WC's 37-18, eventually took over the game to put the Warrior threat to rest. Swillis went to work in the interior and was one of many Lions to showcase their one-on-one abilities on the night.

Frawley's 17-foot jump shot and three-pointer soon after on the pick and pop unveiled VU's largest lead of the night at 22 (66-44) with 6:06 left to go. Westmont would not crack past the 20-point dent  until the final three minutes, but Brenick Soliday bundled a pair of buckets to finish out the PacWest win with a 16-point VU margin.

What Was Said? "I'm proud of our bounce-back coming off a tough loss on the road," noted Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "Westmont has a great group and is so well-coached. They outplayed us and out-competed us in the first half, absolutely dominating us on the glass. Our guys showed resilience and fight by coming out and making winning plays and getting connected defensively. We always pride ourselves on being first to the floor and first to the huddle. We did that in the second half, and that is the primary reason we shot over 50%. Our mindset shifted, and it's amazing how the ball goes in more when that occurs."

What's Next? The Blue and Gold start a four-game road trip, beginning with the current league leaders, Concordia, on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 7:15 p.m.