Vanguard’s conference streak ends

SAN DIEGO — It had been nearly three years since his team had lost a regular-season Golden State Athletic Conference game, but Vanguard University women’s basketball coach Russ Davis didn’t hesitate Tuesday when asked what host Point Loma Nazarene’s 86-65 trouncing of the Lions meant.

“Instant motivation,” said Davis, whose team had won 53 straight regular-season conference games, dating back to a 69-64 loss at PLNU on Feb. 8, 2005. “I’m motivated right now.”

The setback drops the Lions (11-3, 7-1 in conference), ranked No. 3 in NAIA Division I, into a first-place tie with No. 7-ranked Point Loma (13-2, 7-1), as well as No.6-ranked Azusa Pacific, which the Lions handled, 91-71, on the road on Saturday, when Davis collected his 300th victory.

The conference regular-season winning streak had been a GSAC record for any sport.

Motivation appeared lacking for the Vanguard players, though the Sea Lions showed ample desire for most of 40 minutes.

“We didn’t compete,” Davis said. “They beat us to just about every loose ball. We got down, early, when our shots wouldn’t fall and we just pressed. We lost our poise and composure for the first time all year. We just weren’t ready, bottom line. [Point Loma] outplayed us and outcoached us.”

Freshman point guard Sarah Boyd scored all seven of her points in the first four minutes to help the Lions, the five-time-defending regular-season conference champions, take a 10-8 lead.

But the hosts countered with a 16-5 run to take command. Point Loma led by as many as 14, before settling for a 44-31 halftime advantage.

After Katie Hilbelink sank a three-pointer to up the lead to 47-31, Vanguard junior Lauren Gregory scored seven straight points to spark a 9-0 run that pulled the visitors within 47-40.

But, utilizing consistent shooting, supreme execution and the aforementioned desire, the Sea Lions never let Vanguard get any closer.

“We had a good game plan, we had a very fired-up group and we executed,” said Sea Lions Coach Bill Westphal, in his ninth season. “I’m 63 and I said I’m not retiring until we beat them. Now, we’ve reached that goal. My next goal is to win the GSAC.”

The Sea Lions produced the winning combination by making 11 of their first 16 field-goal attempts on their way to shooting 56.5% from the field (39 of 69).

The hosts did commit 17 turnovers against the trapping two-three Vanguard zone, but they also exploited the trap for several inside baskets, most by 6-foot-2 sophomore Colleen Planeta. Planeta, last week’s GSAC Player of the Week, made six of her first seven field-goal tries and also sank her final six without a miss to finish with 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting.

“If they were going to trap us, [Planeta] was the one they were going to leave alone,” Westphal said. “She’s big enough for us to have found her [with passes over the trap] and she finished.”

Planeta’s seven rebounds made her one of six Sea Lions with at least five boards, as they amassed a 51-29 rebounding advantage.

“And Vanguard is the best rebounding team in the conference,” Westphal said.

Gregory finished with 20 points, making seven of 14 from the field and three of six three-point tries, and Lions’ senior Melissa Cook had 15, despite missing eight of her 14 field-goal attempts, including all six from beyond the arc.

Senior Jessica Richter, a two-time All-American and last season’s NAIA Player of the Year, had only seven points on three-of-eight shooting, though her nine rebounds led her team.

Vanguard finished six of 32 from three-point range (18.8%) and was just 24 of 72 from the field (33.3%).

Point Loma, for which junior all-conference performer Kerra Sutton-Wodarski had only 10 points in 24 minutes due to foul trouble, had five players score in double figures.

Freshman reserve Amanda Franz, a CIF Southern Section Player of the Year last season at San Clemente High, had 13 points and six rebounds off the bench in 25 minutes.

“The last time we lost our composure like this was the last game last year [the NAIA Tournament semifinals which ended the Lions’ season with a 31-1 record],” Davis said. “At least this time it happened earlier. We’ll learn from it, there’s no doubt about it. I’ll have to watch the tape. A lot of it’s a blur. But I just think [the Sea Lions] wanted it more and I don’t understand that. So, we’re going to address that in practice.”

Golden State Athletic Conference

Point Loma Nazarene 86,

Vanguard 65

VU – Gregory 20, Cook 15, Richter 7, Halberg 4, Boyd 7, Reyes 5, Carlson 3, Rinke 2, Pfohl 2.

3-pt. goals – Gregory 3, Richter 1, Reyes 1, Carlson 1.

Fouled out – None.

PLN – Planeta 22, Manjarrez, 6, Hilbelink 11, Sutton-Wodarski 10, Ector 10, Franz 13, McGuire 9, Arriola 3, Zabinsky 2.

3-pt. goals – .Hilbelink 3, Arriola 1, Franz 1, McGuire 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

Halftime – PLN, 44-31.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.