Lions love the label: Shockers

The Vanguard University women’s basketball team made like Norah Jones

and upset the competition. Truth be told, the Vanguard Lions had that

Cinderella complex working for them this whole season.

The Lions were part Rodney Dangerfield, part Rocky Balboa.

No respect? No problem.

Vanguard entered the season picked to finish ninth in its

conference by the Golden State Athletic Conference coaches. That

apparently seemed to be the perfect motivation for the Lions. All

they did was say, “Oh yeah? We’re going to win this thing.”

Coach Russ Davis continually reminded his players of the lack of

respect. He also went to work and devised a plan that featured the

true basis of teamwork. To shock the GSAC world, you have to work

together. And, so the Lions worked.

They’ve had different players step up. They’ve had three-point

barrages and stingy efforts on defense. Laura Lee can knock ‘em down

with the best of them. She’s the school’s all-time leader in

three-pointers. Robbin Dittenbir, Lacey Mills and Jennifer Wilcox can

also hit the trey. And, if you’re looking for the heart and soul of

the squad, fifth-year senior Jessica Lenderman fulfills that role.

“We don’t have to say anything,” Lenderman said in reaction to

those GSAC preseason rankings. “The standings speaks for itself.”

The Lions’ GSAC championship speaks for itself. Vanguard clinched

the conference title Tuesday and there’s still one game remaining.

The Cinderella story will continue into the postseason.

I’m sure Davis is searching for rankings for the upcoming NAIA

Tournament. I’m sure he’s saying, “Somebody pick us to lose.”

The Lions thrive in defying the odds.

*

The UC Irvine men’s basketball team’s overtime victory over

University of the Pacific was a test of will for the Anteaters. It

was also a test of maturity, poise and composure. UCI Coach Pat

Douglass believes his squad passed. And, it wasn’t just because they

won.

Douglass enjoyed the way his team did not lose its temper in a

heated game against the Tigers. UOP senior guard Demetrius Jackson

was in a zone in the first half and he was also in a trash-talking

zone. Douglass said Jackson also had some words for him. But the UCI

coach did not respond to him.

There was shoving and some hard fouls by the Tigers, but the

Anteaters never wavered. This attitude will be key for UCI, which has

just two games remaining until the Big West Tournament.

*

The UCI baseball team opened a three-game series with No. 8 Baylor

Friday at Anteater Ballpark. It may seem puzzling that a program in

its second year after a 10-year hiatus has a matchup against a team

as good as the Bears. But, you need to only look at UCI’s coach to

find the answer.

Coach John Savage has always been excited for his team to grow.

Year 2 figured to be bumpy because Savage wanted a tough schedule. He

was able to set up some of those games because of his USC ties.

Before he became head coach at UCI, Savage worked as the pitching

coach and was in charge of recruiting with the Trojans.

This will be the first meeting between UCI and Baylor.

*

Guess what? No one’s talking about the UCI men’s volleyball team,

again.

And, that might be a good thing. The Anteaters were a virtual

unknown until they won their first 10 matches, brought a nice-sized

crowd to the Bren Events Center and earned a No. 1 ranking.

Last week, UCI won its 14th match, which tied a single-season

school record. The Anteaters were idle this week and took their time

off by taking on an alumni squad Thursday at Crawford Hall.

*

In college alumni news: Eddie Johnson, regarded as the best punter

in Orange Coast College history and a former standout of Newport

Harbor High, went through the NFL combine at Indianapolis last week.

Johnson said he felt awkward when he was weighed in. He said he had

to go to the scale, wearing only boxers, as men with clipboards made

notes.

“It was weird,” said Johnson, who will work out at two more NFL

scouting camps and then hope for a phone call from a team.

“I’m confident I’ll get invited to camp and make a team,” Johnson

said.

At the NFL combine, Johnson had to go through a Wonderlic test,

and he also punted. He had interviews with the Dallas Cowboys, the

New York Giants and the St. Louis Rams, Johnson said.

I’ll be shocked if Johnson doesn’t end up on an NFL team this

summer.

Johnson earned All-American honors at Idaho State last year and he

has the hang time and accuracy needed to play on Sundays.

*

Earlier this week, former Newport Harbor standouts April Ross and

Zach Wells were invited to the White House and met President George

W. Bush.

Ross, who helped lead the USC women’s volleyball team to a

national championship, and Wells, the goalie on the UCLA men’s soccer

team that won the national title, were honored along with their

teammates.