Women’s Basketball: Lions handle Firebirds
His team was ahead, 38-9, at halftime and Vanguard University women’s basketball coach Russ Davis had a problem.
Well, more of a concern, really.
“Claire [Lamunu] needed to get more touches,” Davis said of his primary emphasis at intermission, after which Lamunu was rewarded with plenty of passes.
The result was 16 third-quarter points, on six-for-seven shooting for the 6-foot-1 senior from Uganda, who, though in her first season as a Lions starter, is clearly among the elite players in the NAIA.
Lamunu finished with 30 points, nine rebounds, four steals and four blocks in 30 minutes to help the No. 6-ranked hosts secure a 92-41 nonconference triumph against Saint Katherine College from San Marcos.
“She’s unstoppable,” Davis said of Lamunu, who was one rebound shy of her third double-double this season, in which she is averaging 25.3 points and 13.3 rebounds in three victories. “She barely sweated tonight and she had 30.”
That Lamunu didn’t get double-digit rebounds was somewhat anomalous, since the Lions pulled down 62 as a team.
There were plenty of missed shots by both teams, including 42 combined misfires from three-point range.
Vanguard was six for 32 from beyond the arc (18.8%) and finished 39 for 90 from the field (43.3%).
Lamunu was eight for 10 from the field after halftime to finish 13 for 19 (a cool 68.4%).
Vanguard posted a 26-rebound surplus, while forcing 27 turnovers and committing just 10.
Christiana Gerostergiou and Gionni Blankenship both had 10 points, seven rebounds and one steal off the bench. Gerstergiou, a 5-11 junior guard out of Greece who transferred from the University of Maine, added four assists.
Senior Maya Kennedy had eight assists and five rebounds to go with her five points, while freshman Sierra Vaglica had seven assists, four rebounds, four points and three steals. Kennedy did not have a turnover in 20 minutes.
Senior Jamie Goff had a team-best 10 rebounds, while junior Alyssa Durr contributed eight points, four rebounds, two steals and two assists.
Freshman point guard Victoria Chea was solid with seven points, five assists, two steals and no turnovers in 17 minutes.
Tania Uluhea, a 6-4 junior, packed six points, five rebounds, three blocks, one steal and one assist into her eight minutes.
All 11 Lions who played had at least one point, one rebound and one steal, while eight of the hosts also contributed at least one assist.
Vanguard was without senior Hanna Tabron and freshman Natascha Hartvich, both of whom are recovering from concussions, Davis said.
The Lions posted edges of 39-0 in bench scoring and 32-0 on fast-break points, while dominating in points off turnovers (42-4) and second-chance points (22-2).
“We have some weapons,” said Davis, who was less then ebullient about the consistency of his team’s intensity.
“I thought we had some bursts, but we were also a little flat at times,” Davis said.
The Lions venture to Tennessee to meet Hiwassee College on Tuesday, then meet No. 20-ranked Columbia of Missouri and No. 3-ranked Our Lady of the Lake of Texas, in a tournament Nov. 25-26 in Jackson, Tenn.
Nonconference
Vanguard 92, Saint Kathrine 41
SK – Ponds 10, Martin 0, Taylor 14, Dulay 11, Ramos 6.
3-pt. goals – Dulay 3, Taylor 2.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
VU – Lamunu 30, Goff 3, Durr 8, Chea 7, Kennedy 5, Geristergiou 10, Blankenship 10, Hawthorne 6, Uluhea 5, Vaglica 4, Smith 4.
3-pt. goals – Hawthorne 2, Gerostergiou 2, Kennedy 1, Chea 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
Halftime: VU, 38-9.
