Men’s Basketball: Lions extend season

FULLERTON — Vanguard University freshman guard Brandon Brothers said he is playing for his senior teammates. Myles Smith, one of the Lions’ two senior starters, is simply playing for the right to extend his athletic life.

Both approaches produced satisfying results Friday, when Brothers and Smyth helped lead the No. 6-seeded Lions to an 87-79 upset of No. 3-seeded William Jessup in the first round of the Golden State Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament at Hope International University.

Brothers was six for nine from three-point range on his way to a team-best 23 points, while Smith had a career-high 18 points as the Lions (19-10) used a 25-5 burst in the central portion of the first half to build a 25-point cushion.

William Jessup (18-10), which topped the Lions in both previous meetings this season, eventually trimmed the deficit to four. But Vanguard, which almost certainly needs to win the GSAC Tournament to earn a berth to the NAIA Tournament, held on to advance to Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. semifinal against No. 2-seeded Hope International (25-5), ranked No. 7 in the nation.

“We brought our heart today and we fought as a team,” said Smith, who had nine points in the final 7:43, including a pair of three-pointers that helped sustain his team during a late offensive lull.

Smith was six for 10 from the field, including three for five from three-point range. The 5-foot-8 veteran added seven rebounds and six assists. He had one turnover in 34 minutes.

“I thought Myles won us the game down the stretch with big buckets, defensive effort and even getting a couple huge rebounds,” Vanguard Coach Rhett Soliday said. “He’s the epitome of toughness and he’s everything we want the program to be about. I’m going to enjoy every game we have left with him, no matter how long it is.”

Brothers made his first five field-goal tries, four from beyond the arc, on his way to 14 points during a first half that ended with the Lions leading, 48-26.

“That was probably the best 15 minutes of one half that I’ve seen all year,” Jessup Coach Lance Von Vogt said of a Lions’ ambush ignited by defensive pressure and kept ablaze with blistering shooting.

The Lions alternated between a 2-2-1 press (after missed shots) and man-to-man defense (after baskets). They also made eight of their first 11 three-point attempts on their way to a 12-for-25 performance from threedom (48%).

“Fortunately, we hit a lot of shots in the first half [18 for 33 for 54.5%] to give us that lead, and we were energized defensively,” Soliday said. “We came out and had a purpose and guys really executed the game plan. I think mixing defenses put [the Warriors] on their heels a little bit. They didn’t hit a three all game [missing 13 attempts]. That wasn’t all us, but I think we messed up their rhythm a little bit”

Brothers’ rhythm, meanwhile, kept the Lions in a groove.

“He doesn’t play like a freshman,” Soliday said of the 6-4 wing. “He’s all heart and when you are all heart, you are not afraid of the moment. To him, it’s just another game, though in some ways, it’s never just another game to him because he plays so stinkin’ hard.”

Junior Zach Allmon chipped in 18 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots against three frontline Jessup starters who combined for 59 points and 32 rebounds.

“I wanted to help my bigs, because [the Warriors’] big guys are monsters down low,” Smith said. “If I have to scrap, I’m going to scrap. That’s just my mentality and my heart. I don’t want to lose.”

Senior Jaamon Echols, who joined Allmon on the All-GSAC squad by leading the team in regular-season scoring (21.3 per game), had 11 points and eight assists on a subpar shooting night (three for 10).

Sophomore Christian Ware-Berry (nine points and four rebounds in 19 minutes) and junior TJ Burke (six rebounds and two points) contributed off the bench for the Lions.

Vanguard has lost four straight against Hope International since a 90-80 win over the Royals in the 2014 GSAC Tournament final.

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GSAC Tournament

First round

Vanguard 87, William Jessup 79

WJU – Floyd 16, Clement 16, Smith 27, Polite 10, Nunez 0, Newman 6, Patterson 2, Muldrow 2.

3-pt. goals – None.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

VU – Allmon 18, Brothers 23, Smith 18, Echols 11, Hoosein 6, Ware-Berry 9, Burke 2.

3-pt. goals – Brothers 6, Smith 3, Hoosein 2, Ware-Berry 1.

Fouled out – Allmon.

Technicals – None.

Halftime – 48-26, VU.