Lions double threat in win

Opening his 20th season at the helm of the Vanguard University women’s basketball program, there is not a lot that Coach Russ Davis has not seen. But Wednesday’s 69-43 nonconference victory over visiting Cal Lutheran may have set a precedent that may be tough to equal.

Benefiting from the 78 combined missed field-goal attempts, as well as some of the 24 missed free throws by both teams, three Lions recorded double-doubles.

Senior center Melissa Norman had 10 points and 17 rebounds, while senior Samantha Doucette produced a game-high 15 points and 11 rebounds. Junior transfer Claire Lamunu, making her first appearance as a Lion, chipped in 14 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.

“I don’t remember the last time we had three double-doubles,” Davis said after his team amassed a 64-28 rebounding advantage that helped it overcome 20 turnovers and sub-par shooting, including making just one of 14 attempts from three-point range.

“I really liked Claire’s energy,” Davis said of the 6-foot-1 native of Uganda who had eight offensive rebounds and scored four of her five field goals on put-backs. She made six of nine field-goal tries, while producing three blocks and four steals..

The 6-2 Norman had seven offensive rebounds, four steals and two blocks. She made half of her six field-goal tries and four of six free-throw attempts. She did not commit a turnover in 28 minutes.

Doucette, a second-team All-American as a junior, was five for nine from the field in the second half, including a stretch early after intermission in which she scored eight of her team’s 10 points. Her third-quarter hot streak helped extend a 37-19 halftime lead into a 49-24 bulge with 4:01 left in the period.

Vanguard’s biggest lead was 47-20, as it capitalized on 25 turnovers by the Regals, an NCAA Division III school for which the game did not count on its record.

The Lions were seven for 15 from the field in the opening quarter, including its lone three-pointer by junior Fresno State transfer Natascha Hartvich. But the hosts were just 18 for 50 the rest of the way to finish at 38.5% from the field. They netted just 52.9% of their foul shots (18 for 34), and many of their turnovers were sloppy passes and/or ball-handling miscues.

The game featured women’s college basketball’s shift from two 20-minute halves to four 10-minute quarters.

“We have to take care of the ball better,” said Davis, who was encouraged by his team’s level of effort and aggressiveness.

“We missed 16 free throws, we go one for 14 from the three-point line and we have 20 turnovers, but we still almost put up 70 points,” Davis said. “So we have some potential.”

Davis also likes the potential of Lamunu, who at times was awkward with the ball, but showed tenacity, a long reach and uncommon lateral quickness while crashing the glass and swatting opponents’ shots in the lane.

“She’s going to get better and better and she’s going to be good,” Davis said of Lamunu, who had four points and three rebounds in the Lions’ 113-42 exhibition loss at UCLA on Sunday.

Doucette, who was one of four Lions with four turnovers Wednesday, had 17 points against the Bruins.

Sophomore Kandyce Smith, a transfer from UNLV, had 10 points against Cal Lutheran, which finished 13 of 51 from the field (25.5%) and was four for 23 from threedom (17.4%).

The Regals went nearly seven minutes without a field goal spanning the end of the first half and the beginning of the second. The visitors had only two players with more than two field goals at the end of three quarters and only Jessica Salottolo, who led the with 10 points, had as many as three field goals in the game.

The game featured women’s college basketball’s shift from two 20-minute halves to four 10-minute quarters.

Vanguard, which annually schedules a series of exhibition games against Division I programs, will visit reigning NCAA champion Connecticut on Sunday as part of a three-game exhibition tour of New England.

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Nonconference

Vanguard 69, Cal Lutheran 43

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Cal Lu 12 7 15 9 – 43

Vanguard 18 19 14 18 – 69

Cal Lu – Messick 5, Jacoby 9, Salattolo 10, Cruz 3, Owen 6, Hodgson 4, Porter 3, Minassan 3,

3-pt. goals – Owen 1, Salottolo 1, Porter 1, Minassan 1.

Fouled out – Hodgson.

Technicals – None.

VU – Doucette 15, Goff 3, Norman 10, Smith 10, Hartvich 6, Lamunu 14, Tabron 3, Kennedy 3, Durr 3, Blankenship 2.

3-pt. goals – Hatvich 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.