Colleges: Lions trying to overcome injuries

Amara Aguilar

The Vanguard University men’s basketball team isn’t exactly hurting

for a win, but it is hurting.

The team opened Golden State Athletic Conference play with a 66-60

victory over California Baptist Tuesday, despite being without seven

players.

“That was a real good win,” Vanguard Coach Stephen French said. “It

was good to have guys step up. Damion (Morbley) and Josh (Pierson)

stepped up the scoring.”

Morbley and Pierson each had a game-high 23 points. Morbley also had

12 rebounds. The 6-foot-6 senior Cal State Northridge transfer earned

Lion of the Week honors last week.

Although Vanguard improved to 2-2, 1-0 in the GSAC, French said the

team has been hit by a rash of bad luck.

“We hadn’t played particularly well up to that point,” French said.

“We have a lot of new guys and it takes awhile for chemistry to kick in.

We had worked a lot with guys about getting involved with the offense. It

was good to see them go out and do it during the game. But there were a

lot question marks (due to injuries).”

Sophomore forward Gabe Goldman and sophomore guard Jeff Murat are

fighting knee injuries while junior forward Stephen Bohn had a concussion

and could not play in Tuesday’s game.

Junior guard Shawn Corkery has patella tendinitis, but was able to

compete in the Lions’ conference opener.

“He has been out with an injury all fall,” French said. “He was in a

lot of pain, but the doctor assured him playing is not going to do more

damage. He did a great job.”

Two other players -- junior forward Leviticus Williams and senior

guard Shane McKim -- did not play because of a team violation.

“They’re good kids who are working hard, but every once in awhile you

have got to ring the bell,” French said.

Despite being hit hard with injuries, French said the players who are

healthy have stepped up, especially team captain Ian Boys.

“He has been in double digits for rebounds many times,” French said.

“He has really focused on that. He wants to win. If that means all he

does is rebound, that’s what he’ll do for the team.”

French said he is looking forward to getting players off the injury

list and back onto the basketball court to reestablish chemistry.

“This team still doesn’t know how good it can be,” French said. “It

needs to taste a little blood until it truly believes in itself.”

The Lions will travel to Biola Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. game. Biola is

6-0, 1-0 in the GSAC.

On Thursday, Vanguard hosts Cal State Los Angeles (1-1) at 7:30 p.m.

and wraps up the week with an away game Saturday against Concordia at

7:30 p.m.

USC sophomore April Ross, a product of Newport Harbor High, was

selected first-team All-Pac-10 in women’s volleyball. Ross led USC

(26-2), ranked No. 5 in the nation, with 346 regular-season kills.

Ross’s season will continue in the NCAA Tournament, for which the

brackets will be released today.

Junior UCI swimmer Sara Showalter was recently named Female Athlete of

the Week by the Big West Conference.

She had personal bests in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.96) and the 200 breaststroke (2:24.59) in Las Vegas on Nov. 17.

The Vanguard women’s basketball team will visit Biola (2-1, 0-1)

Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and will travel to Concordia Saturday for a 5:30

game.

The Lions are looking to rebound after suffering two losses in the

Sunbird Thanksgiving Classic Friday and Saturday at Fresno Pacific

University. Vanguard fell to Lewis-Clark State, 69-64, and Cal State

Stanislaus, 77-58.

The UC Irvine men’s basketball team (3-2) lost for the first time this

season at the University Hoops Classic, hosted by Robert Morris College

in Pennsylvania.

The Anteaters were defeated by Illinois State, 58-52, Friday and Kent

State, 75-64, Sunday. UCI did pull out a win against Oakland (Mich.)

University, 68-61, Saturday.

The Anteaters will travel to Loyola Marymount Wednesday for a 7:35

p.m. nonconference game and will host UC Davis Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

UCI is 6-8 against Loyola Marymount in the series. Loyola Marymount is

2-2 this season and is led by Greg Lakey (13.3 points per game) and Andy

Osborn (12 ppg).

The Anteaters are tied 5-5 in the series against UC Davis, which is

2-1 this season.

Talk about ending on a high note. The UCI women’s volleyball team

ended the season with a 30-20, 30-24, 27-30, 25-30, 15-6, victory at the

University of Idaho Tuesday.

Chanda McLeod had 25 kills and 12 digs. Freshman Kelly Wing chipped in

with 22 kills and 17 digs.

McLeod had a team-leading 364 kills this season and Wing had 301. The

Anteaters finished the season 4-23, 2-16 in the Big West Conference.