Men’s Basketball: Lions’ surge halted

Just 24 hours prior, it was the Vanguard University men’s basketball team that was raining on its opponent. But in the semifinals of the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament against host Hope International on Saturday, it was the Lions who needed the umbrella.

The No. 7-ranked and No. 2-seeded Royals (26-5) built a 28-point first-half lead over a No. 6-seeded Vanguard unit that led by as many as 25 in the opening 20 minutes of its first-round upset of No. 3-seeded William Jessup on Friday.

And while the Lions (19-11) roared back to pare the deficit to nine with 10:59 remaining, Hope secured a 73-53 triumph that ended Vanguard’s season.

Vanguard made only three of its first 20 field-goal tries and wound up six for 30 for the half (20%), including one for nine from three-point range.

Hope, meanwhile, made six of eight three-point tries before intermission to help forge a 36-8 bulge with 5:30 left in the half.

The Lions used a 22-6 run early in the second half to pull within 50-41, but the Royals surged back to advance to Tuesday’s title game.

“I thought we gave every ounce we had to make a push and cut the lead to nine,” Vanguard Coach Rhett Soliday said. “Then at that point, we needed to kind of take a deep breath and settle down and get the right shot. Instead, we got so emotional about the comeback charge that we left some possessions out there, and we kind of got lost defensively.”

Senior guard Jaamon Echols finished with a team-best 15 points for the Lions, though he wound up five for 20 from the field, including one for seven in the opening half.

Junior Zach Allmon, who joined Echols on the all-conference team, had 11 points and five rebounds, while senior Myles Smith had four points, six rebounds, four steals and two assists in his final collegiate game.

“I’m really proud of our seniors,” Soliday said. “Just having Jaamon [a transfer from Western Washington] for one year … what an impact he has had on our program. He was just a fun guy to be around every day and an incredible competitor.

“And Myles, I think will go down as one of the all-time four-year guys we’ve ever had here, just because of how much heart he brought to everything he did. I love those [seniors, of whom Soliday included TJ Burke] and I’m hurting for them.”

Smith and Burke were both part of the Lions’ national championship in 2014, the same year they won the GSAC regular-season crown and defeated Hope in the conference tournament final.

Vanguard has how lost five straight to the Royals, including three games this season.

The dazzling perimeter shooting of Hope senior Ramon Mejia hurt the Lions, particularly in the first half. Mejia sank his first five three-point attempts on his way to 18 first-half points. He single-handedly outscored the Lions in the opening half.

Mejia finished with a game-high 23, while 6-foot-6 sophomore Liam Hunt (18 points and 12 rebounds) and 6-8 senior Tuff Barnes, an All-GSAC performer (15 points and nine boards), helped the Royals control the paint.

Hope posted a 48-35 rebounding advantage and finished at 49.1% from the field.

Vanguard wound up shooting 30.8% from the field, though Allmon was five for 11.

“We didn’t play the right way, offensively, the first half,” Soliday said. “We just didn’t share the ball the way we needed to and we didn’t have purpose in the paint. When that happens, Hope is the kind of team that can bury you and it kind of did that in the first half.”

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GSAC Tournament

Semifinal

Hope International 73, Vanguard 53

VU – Allmon 11, Echols 15, Brothers 6, Hoosein 6, Smith 4, Ware-Berry 7, Burke 4.

3-pt. goals – Hoosein 2, Brothers 2.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

HIU – Barnes 15, Hunt 18, Mejia 23, Neilan 2, Lanier 2, Pellum 7, Ireland 6.

3-pt. goals – Mejia 6, Pellum 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

Halftime – 42-17, HIU.