Vanguard takes care of Concordia, 74-63

Freshman center Rachel Besse scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed

13 rebounds to lead the host Vanguard University women’s basketball

team to a 74-63 first-round victory over Concordia in the Golden

State Athletic Conference Tournament Thursday night.

Besse, an All-GSAC forward along with freshman Kelly Schmidt (15

points), notched her seventh double-double (double figures in points

and rebounds) this season while point guard Lisa Faulkner, the GSAC

Player of the Year, tallied 16 points and four assists for the

top-seeded Lions (27-2).

Concordia (16-15), the No. 8 seed, took its only lead five minutes

into the second half before Vanguard, ranked third in the NAIA, put

the game out of reach with a 21-6 run. The Eagles cut the lead to

eight points with less than five minutes to play, but got no closer.

Carrie Twaddell, another All-GSAC selection, led the Eagles with

18 points and 13 rebounds.

The Lions shot 50% (14 od 28) in the first half while limiting the

visitors to 32.4% on 11-of-34 shooting en route to taking a 31-25

lead at intermission.

Vanguard hosts The Master’s College, who upset third-seeded Azusa

Pacific, in a semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

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Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament

First round

Vanguard 74, Concordia 63

Concordia -- Covington 2, Flanagan 11, Twaddell 18, Ryan 8, Hatsushi 0, Murray 9, Sherman 0, Shiomi 15, Miller 0. 3-pt. goals -- Flanagan 3, Ryan 2, Shiomi 1. Fouled out -- None. Technicals -- None. Vanguard -- Besse 21, Burns 7, Schmidt 15, Faulkner

16, Mills 3, Josefsson 1, McClellan 11, Dittenbir 0. 3-pt. goals -- Faulkner 2, Mills 1. Fouled out -- None. Technicals -- None. Halftime -- Vanguard, 31-25.

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