Women’s Basketball: Vanguard bows out in semis

The Vanguard University women’s basketball team came up short Monday night in the semifinals of the NAIA Tournament at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana … and long, and wide.

The No. 5-ranked Lions (30-4) were 15 for 64 from the field (23.4%), including three for 24 from three-point range (12.5%), in a 65-41 loss to No. 2-ranked Lewis-Clark State.

The Lions made the semifinals for the fifth time in the program’s history, the first time since 2008, when they captured their lone national championship.

Senior Claire Lamunu, the NAIA Player of the Year, led the Lions with 15 points and 19 rebounds. It was her 25th double-double of the season. She made seven of 16 field-goal attempts, including five for 10 after halftime.

Senior Hanna Tabron had 11 points, including three three-pointers. Other than Tabron, Vanguard was zero for 18 from threedom.

Kandyce Smith added six points and four rebounds off the bench for Vanguard, which won three games in the tournament to advance to the semifinals.

Lewis-Clark State (35-1) advances to face Oklahoma City in Tuesday’s title game.

Lewis-Clark State shot 44.3% from the field and was eight for 20 from three-point range. It won the turnover battle, 14-11, to offset a 43-36 rebounding disadvantage.

Vanguard guards Maya Kennedy (one for 12), Victoria Chea, Alyssa Durr, Christiana Gerostergiou and Gionni Blankenship were a combined one for 35 from the field.

— Barry Faulkner