Women’s basketball: Lions fall in GSAC tourney finals

Tony Altobelli

WHITTIER - In a game that really lacked as much importance as it

deserved, the Vanguard University women’s basketball team lost to Azusa

Pacific, 77-71, in the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament

Finals.

With both teams already advancing to the NAIA National Tournament,

scheduled for Tulsa, Oklahoma March 14-20, conference bragging rights was

the only thing hanging on Tuesday’s outcome.

“It was just one of those nights,” Lions’ Coach Russ Davis said. “We

didn’t get any calls to go our way, we didn’t play that well on defense

and we didn’t execute our offense very well. We’re going to have to pick

up our game in a lot of areas heading into the NAIA Tournament.”

Kelly Boeke led the Lions (28-6) with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while

Laura Lee added 18 points on six three-pointers.

“Boeke pretty much owned us in the first half,” Cougars’ Coach Danielle

Jorgenson said. “We came in determined not to lose on their three-point

shooting.”

The Cougars (26-6) shot over 50% (28 of 55) from the field, while the

Lions, ranked No. 10 in the nation by the NAIA, were held to 35% (24 of

69).

“Maybe this is the type of game that will get the team’s attention,”

Davis said. “We’ve won eight in a row going into this game. Hopefully

this will grab everyone’s attention and they’ll all step up their games.”

The Cougars outscored the Lions, 35-4, off the bench, led by Jennifer

Barbone’s 15 points and Allison Box’s 14 points.

Azusa, ranked No. 21, led by as many as eight in the first half, but a

late 9-0 run by the Lions helped tie the game at 34-34 at halftime. Boeke

had 16 first-half points, but picked up her third foul before halftime.

“Our early foul trouble really hurt us,” Davis said. “We tried to

overcome it by playing some zone defense, but that didn’t work at all.”

Vanguard led by two before an 8-0 run gave the Cougars momentum.

Lee hit three early three-pointers in the second half to keep the

cold-shooting Lions in the game.

“She’s well over 100 three-pointers for us this year,” Davis said. “She

was really shooting the ball well for us tonight.”

With the Cougars up, 60-59, with 8:08 remaining, the Lions’ defense broke

down, allowing Azusa Pacific to go on a 9-0 run in a three-minute span.

“I’ve been talking to Russ about three times a week lately and he told us

that we might have had the better team, but they were rattling our

heads,” Jorgenson said. “Tonight, we just came out loose and they weren’t

gonna lose to them again.”

The Lions had won both meetings from the Cougars this season and had won

four out of the last five meetings.

A late Lions’ charge, led by Boeke and Becki Huddle (11 points, six

rebounds, six assists) cut the lead to four with 3:12 remaining, but they

would not get any closer.

Catherine Solorio’s jumper with 1:13 left extended the lead to 73-67 and

erased all hopes of a Lions’ comeback.

GOLDEN STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

Championship finals

Azusa Pacific 77, Vanguard 71

Azusa Pacific - Barbone 15, Box 14, Centivre 13, Solorio 11, Lemm 9,

Herman 7, Guerrero 6, Clark 2.

3 pt. goals - None.

Fouled out - None.

Vanguard - Boeke 23, Lee 18, Huddle 11, Fikse 10, Emde 5, Weidler 2,

McKinney 2.

3 pt. goals - Lee 6, Fikse 1, Emde 1, Huddle 1.

Fouled out - Emde.

Haftime - Tied, 34-34.