Women’s Basketball: Davis collects No. 500
The Vanguard University women’s basketball team needed two overtimes to ensure that Coach Russ Davis’ career win No. 500 would not be overdue.
The No. 7-ranked Lions produced a 68-62 home victory over No. 6-seeded Hope International in the semifinals of the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament. The win propels No. 2-seeded Vanguard (22-6) into the championship game on Tuesday against No. 4-seeded The Master’s at a site to be determined.
Vanguard missed 51 of its 73 field-goal attempts (30.1%), but amassed 29 offensive rebounds to virtually clean up its mess. The Lions posted a 12-4 advantage on the Royals (17-15) in second-chance points.
And the Lions took advantage of a windfall of late free throws to avert an upset loss to a team they swept in two regular-season meetings, including a 40-point thumping in Fullerton on Jan. 13.
Vanguard made 11 of 18 foul shots in the two overtimes, during which two Royals fouled out (after HIU standout Alexis Perry exited with five fouls with 19 seconds left in regulation).
Hope shot just three foul shots after regulation ended in a 53-53 deadlock, making two. The Royals had 29 fouls, almost double the Lions’ 16.
On the night, Vanguard was 21 for 42 from the free-throw line, while HIU was 13 for 17.
The Lions finished with 56 rebounds, 11 more than the Royals, who had 20 of the game’s 35 turnovers.
Vanguard junior Samantha Doucette led the winners with 22 points. Her free throw with 19 seconds left in regulation knotted the score and forced the first extra session. Doucette, a two-time first-team all-conference performer, connected on a six-foot baseline jumper with 11 seconds left in the first overtime to create a 60-60 deadlock. And, finally, Doucette’s two free throws with 45 seconds left in the second overtime, gave Vanguard the lead for good.
Doucette made six of eight free throws and also had two of the Lions’ three three-pointers. Her four steals lead all players.
Junior Amber Alexander had 12 points, 14 rebounds and three steals, two of which came in the second overtime, to help the Lions, who are without GSAC Player of the Year Riley Holsinger (torn ACL in the regular-season finale) continue pursuit of the GSAC Tournament crown. Alexander had a team-best seven offensive rebounds.
Jaime Goff had 10 rebounds, eight points and three assists, while Hanna Tabron added 10 rebounds and five points for the winners. Tabron made four free throws in the final 28 seconds of the game to help Davis, in his 19th season at the helm, collect a plaque commemorating his milestone victory that was presented immediately after the final buzzer. Davis is now 500-120 at Vanguard, an .806 winning percentage.
The 5-foot-11 Tabron also blocked the shot of 6-4 HIU center Amber Terwilliger with 31 seconds left in the second overtime with the Lions clinging to a 63-62 advantage. Tabron had three rebounds and deflected a pass that led to a turnover in the second overtime as well.
Maya Kennedy had eight points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one blocked shot, while Vanguard teammate Lauren Martin had seven points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Perry produced a triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Brittany Bauman led the visitors with 21 points, including all five of her team’s three-pointers. Bauman’s three-pointer with 48 seconds left in the first overtime gave the Royals a 60-58 lead and she barely missed three-point attempts in the final seconds of regulation and the first overtime, then another that could have tied the score with 11 seconds left in the second overtime.
Terwilliger produced 18 points and nine rebounds
Vanguard, which is headed to the NAIA Tournament regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, split its two games with The Master’s this season. Vanguard lost, 71-64, in Santa Clarita on Dec. 13 and claimed a 72-58 victory at home on Jan. 31.
The Master’s upset top-seeded Concordia, 81-63, in the other semifinal.
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Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament
Semifinal
Vanguard 68, Hope International 62 (2 OT)
HIU – Terwilliger 18, Bauman 21, Perry 10, Jacobs 5, Santiago 4, Canning 4.
3-pt. goals – Bauman 5.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – Perry, Jacobs, Canning.
VU – Alexander 12, Goff 8, Doucette 22, Kennedy 8, Martin 7, Tabron 5, Zugasti 4, Harter 2.
3-pt. goals – Doucette 2, Martin 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
Halftime – 26-26.