Crown in view for VU

COSTA MESA -- The regular season is quickly drawing to a close and

the Vanguard University women’s basketball team is inching that much

nearer to its second consecutive Golden State Athletic Conference

title.

The host Lions, ranked No. 3 in the latest NAIA poll released

Tuesday, maintained their lead atop the GSAC standings with a 73-62

victory over The Master’s College Saturday. The loss was doubly

detrimental for The Master’s (17-9, 9-6 in the GSAC), which needed a

win to maintain its slim hopes of catching the Lions (22-2, 14-2),

who have four regular-season games remaining.

“[The Mustangs] had to win this game because we hold the

tiebreaker,” Vanguard Coach Russ Davis said. The Master’s entered

Saturday tied with Azusa Pacific for fourth place in the conference.

Vanguard’s closest pursuer, Point Loma Nazarene, defeated Biola,

68-62, to improve to 12-3 in the GSAC. Point Loma hosts Vanguard at

5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

But the Lions were not about to look past The Master’s.

“We knew [The Master’s] would come out and play hard, we just

needed to match their intensity,” said Vanguard’s 6-foot-3 freshman

center Rachel Besse, who posted her fourth double-double of the

season with 19 points and 11 rebounds coming off the bench to lead a

quartet of Lions to finish in double figures. “We didn’t want them to

beat us [three years in a row] at home. We had to match their

intensity.”

Freshmen forwards Kelly Schmidt and Lacey Burns each tallied 14

points while Lisa Faulkner collected her ninth double-double this

season with 10 points -- despite shooting 1 of 10 from the field --

and 12 assists.

The Lions held a 37-36 edge at intermission after a first half

that saw 12 lead changes and three ties with no lead greater than

four points.

Mills scored 11 of her points in the second half as the Lions used

a 12-2 run in a span of four minutes, 13 seconds, to forge a 49-42

lead with 14:26 remaining.

Vanguard took the lead for good at 42-40 on a Cecilia Josefsson

layup with 18:24 remaining. Lacey Mills (six points) hit a

three-pointer to tie the score at 40 on the previous possession after

the Mustangs took a 40-37 lead to begin the second half. Josefsson

finished with eight points.

A change in attitude after halftime, along with a full-court

press, helped disrupt the Mustangs offensive rhythm.

“[The Mustangs] outhustled us in the first half and we came out

with more intensity in the second half,” Vanguard Coach Russ Davis

said. “We took away their inside game. Lacey Burns was hustling,

diving for loose balls and she hit some big shots.”

Burns caused Davis to leap from his chair in appreciation after

she curled off a screen, took a pass from Mills and drove for a layup

to put the hosts up, 51-44. Faulkner stole the ensuing inbounds pass

in the corner and with a foot on the three-point line, hit an

18-footer to send the crowd of 195 to its feet.

The Master’s got within 54-49 with 10:03 left, but went scoreless

the next 2:29 while the Lions forged a 7-0 run, led by four points

from Besse, who shredded the Mustangs’ 2-1-2 zone defense.

“We always had two people down low and it makes it hard for the

other team to [focus on one player],” Besse said. “And Lisa makes

great passes.”

The Lions, the top scoring team in the conference (80.1 points per

game) held the Mustangs, the GSAC’s second-most prolific offense to

17 points below their season average (79).

The Lions did it by double- and triple-teaming 6-4 junior center

Amy Van Doesburg, forcing her to either drive to the basket, or pass

out to a teammate on the perimeter.

The Mustangs didn’t help their cause outside, shooting just 1 of 9

from three-point range (11.1%). The Lions weren’t much better at 5

for 22.

Van Doesburg still managed a team high 15 points and 13 rebounds

while Liz deWaalMalefyt scored 12 to go with 11 from Kinsley Mittel.

The Master’s came in leading the conference in offensive rebounds

per game (14.68) while the Lions were last at 10.86.

But the fortunes changed as the Lions grabbed 15 offensive boards

to the Mustangs’ 13, led by five from Schmidt. Vanguard outrebounded

The Master’s, 41-36. Schmidt grabbed nine rebounds while Mills, Burns

and Faulkner each added four.

The focus now shifts to a showdown with Point Loma and Davis

already knows what he wants to stress in practice.

“We are going to work on defense, our half-court offense and try

to get our transition game going,” Davis said.

*--*

Golden State Athletic Conference

Vanguard 73, The Master’s 62

The Master’s -- deWaalMalefyt 12, Seyler 9, Van Doesburg 15, Tappe 7, Mittel 11, Yahn 0, Folden 2, Brigandi 6. 3-pt. goals -- Seyler 1. Fouled out -- deWaalMalefyt. Technicals -- None. Vanguard -- Josefsson 8, Burns 14, Schmidt 14, Faulkner 10, Mills 6,

McClellan 2, Dittenbir 0, Besse 19. 3-pt. goals -- Josefsson 2, Mills 2, Faulkner 1. Fouled out -- None. Technicals -- None. Halftime -- Vanguard, 37-36.

*--*