Women’s Basketball: Lions claim conference crown
The Vanguard University women’s basketball team may have limped down the stretch, but its ability to hold off a valiant charge from visiting Westmont allowed the No. 3-ranked Lions to experience an important victory lap.
Vanguard’s 43-40 triumph against the No. 6-ranked Warriors clinched the outright Golden State Athletic Conference regular-season championship.
Vanguard (26-2, 14-1 in conference) will be the No. 1 seed for the GSAC Tournament after earning the 12th regular-season conference title in the last 20 seasons, all under Coach Russ Davis.
Davis, whose defensive reputation was forged with a zone, exclusively employed a man-to-man scheme to stymie Westmont, which produced a season-low scoring output.
The Warriors (23-4, 12-3), who entered the week leading the nation in scoring defense (45.6 points allowed per game), were smothered by a Vanguard team that came in ranked No. 3 in the same category (50.8).
Westmont made just two of its first 20 field-goal attempts and three of its first 26. The Warriors went stretches of 5:29, 6:10 and 5:59 in the opening 20 minutes without making a bucket.
“We had to play them man-to-man, because they have too many good shooters and they execute their stuff so well,” said Davis, whose team needed overtime to rally for a 64-57 win at Westmont on Feb. 7.
Vanguard senior Claire Lamunu once again led the Lions, producing 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Lamunu, who posted her 22nd double-double of the season, was eight for 16 from the field and five for seven from the foul line. She drained a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left that upped Vanguard’s lead to five.
Freshman guard Victoria Chea also came up big for the winners, finishing with 11 points and a game-best four assists.
Chea, who attempted one shot and had three points in the first Westmont game, had all 11 points in the first half, when she was four for six from the field. It was just the second time in 14 games that Chea scored in double-figures.
“I challenged her in practice Monday,” Davis said of Chea. “She hadn’t been to the free-throw line in [seven games], and I told her the reason we were able to beat Westmont the first time was the dribble penetration of [backup point guard] Kandyce Smith, so we needed that from her.”
Chea attacked early with the dribble, netting a pair of first-quarter layups and earning two free throws while being fouled in the first 2:18. Chea also netted two first-half three-pointers, the only three-pointers of the game for either team.
“[Chea] was the difference for us in the first half,” Davis said. “She did great.”
Vanguard led, 28-12, at halftime and was up, 36-22, heading into the final period.
But Westmont, which had gone 126 games, dating back to March, 2013, since it last produced fewer than 40 points, picked up the pace, while limiting Vanguard to six-for-25 field-goal shooting in the second half.
The Warriors, who won three of the previous five GSAC regular-season crowns, pulled within 41-38 with 1:11 left.
The visitors finalized the scoring with eight seconds left, but could not get a shot off after Vanguard’s Alyssa Durr missed two free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining.
“We struggled, offensively, in the second half, when [the Warriors] picked up their intensity,” Davis said. “But I’m just happy we won. That’s a great [Westmont] team and this was a great win. We have had a lot of adversity this season and I’m really proud of this team for winning a GSAC title.”
Westmont, which came in shooting 36.5% from three-point range (No. 8 in the nation) finished zero for 12 from threedom.
Davis singled out Durr and Maya Kennedy for their stellar defensive play.
Vanguard concludes the regular season on Saturday at home against The Master’s at 5:30 p.m.
Golden State Athletic Conference
Vanguard 43, Westmont 40
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Wmt 7 – 5 – 10 – 18 – 40
VU 11 – 17 – 8 – 7 – 43
WMT – McCoy 7, Shellmire 14, Sato 10, Brakken 5, Chan 2, Krupa 2.
3-pt. goals – None.
Fouled out - None.
Technicals - None.
VU - Goff 2, Lamunu 21, Kennedy 0, Chea 11, Tabron 0, Smith 1, Durr 2, Uluhea 4.
3-pt. goals - Chea 2.
Fouled out - None.
Technicals - None.
Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5
