Vanguard’s roar muffled by Eagles, 73-64

Bryce Alderton

Vanguard University’s women’s basketball found itself in unfamiliar

territory, at least this season, at host Concordia Saturday night for

a Golden State Athletic Conference showdown.

The Lions were rudely welcomed by a determined Eagles squad that

knocked off the visitors from the unbeaten ranks, 73-64.

Vanguard came into Saturday’s conference ranked fourth in the NAIA

poll and had outscored its previous four opponents this season by an

average of almost 38 points.

The Lions (4-1, 1-1 in the GSAC) never led by more than two

against the Eagles, their last cushion coming at 30-28 with 18

minutes, 56 seconds to go in the second half following a layup from

freshman forward Kelly Schmidt, who finished with a double-double.

She tallied a game-high 20 points, including 10 of 14 at the

free-throw line, while grabbing 13 rebounds.

Junior point guard Lisa Faulkner (11 points) was the only other

Lion to score in double figures while four of Concordia’s starters

posted double-digit point totals.

Carrie Twaddell, Concordia’s 6-foot-3 junior starting center,

shook off numerous double and triple teams to score 17 of her 19

points in the second half while junior point guard Nancy Hatsushi, a

Costa Mesa High and Orange Coast College product, netted 16 points (3

of 5 three-pointers and 7 of 8 free throws) to go with seven assists.

Junior forward Lauren Murray, Hatsushi’s teammate at OCC, scored 14

points on 8 of 11 from the free-throw line and Tristen Ryan finished

with 12 points for the Eagles.

“[Concordia] wanted it more,” Vanguard assistant coach Mike

Cherney said. “We should have come back and won that game.”

Cherney and assistant John Barney took over the coaching reins

Saturday for Russ Davis, who Cherney said was “under the weather.”

The Eagles bolted to a 19-5 lead in the game’s first eight

minutes, but the Lions went on a 15-2 run over the next 6:11 to trim

the lead to 21-20. Vanguard shot 8 of 16 in the final 12 minutes of

the half while Concordia (5-2, 1-1) went almost five minutes with a

field goal and ended the half shooting 3 of 14 from the field (21.4%)

and trailing, 28-26.

“We talked at halftime about what a classy showing it was for us

to erase that early deficit,” Cherney said. “We talked about focus,

but it took a lot of energy to make a run like that.”

Concordia Coach Greg Dinneen expected Vanguard to mount a

comeback, but wanted his team to be more intense and work harder.

“We decided to attack the defense and try to get good shots while

limiting their strengths, which are outside shooting and ball

control,” Dinneen said. “I was happy with our post play. We didn’t

have anyone foul out.”

A putback by Lindsey Sherman gave Concordia the lead for good at

34-32 with 15:11 left in regulation. The Eagles expanded the lead to

43-34 following a bucket by Ryan as Vanguard went almost seven

minutes without a field goal in the second half en route to shooting

10 of 31 (32.3%) compared to Concordia’s 52% clip (13 of 25) in that

span.

“We missed too many layups and other shots we normally make,”

Cherney said. “We were playing uphill the whole game.”

Guard Cecilia Josefsson tallied 11 points, including 3 of 6

three-pointers, while starters Lacey Burns and Lacey Mills each

scored eight points for the Lions.

Two free throws by Schmidt cut the Eagles’ lead to two with 4:32

left, but a pair of free throws by Murray and a three by Hatsushi put

Concordia up, 58-51 with 3:32 left and Vanguard couldn’t rebound.

The Lions had eight attempts at the foul line to the Eagles’ one

in the first half, but things changed drastically in the second half.

Concordia went to the foul line 25 times, making 19, while Vanguard,

running several pick-and-rolls for Schmidt to get near the basket,

converted 12 of 16 free throws.

“It helps when [Twaddell] is an 80% free-throw shooter,” Dinneen

said. “This is the biggest win since we beat The Master’s two years

ago.”

*--*

Golden State Athletic Conference

Concordia 73, Vanguard 64

Vanguard -- Faulkner 11, Mills 8, Josefsson 11, Schmidt 20, Lacey Burns 8, Beese 4, McClellan 2, Dittenbir 0. 3-pt. goals -- Josefsson 3, Mills 2, Faulkner 2. Fouled out -- Schmidt, Mills. Technicals -- None. Concordia -- Ryan 12, Hatsushi 16, Twaddell

19, Covington 0, Murray 14, Flanagan 8, Sherman 4, Shiomi 0, Miller 0. 3-pt. goals -- Hatsushi 3, Ryan 2, Flanagan 2. Fouled out -- None. Technicals -- None. Halftime -- Vanguard, 28-26.

*--*