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La Mirada, Calif. – Riley Holsinger (Nez Perce Tribe) drops 30 points and 11 rebounds as the #3 Lions (9-3) win their third straight contest, defeating Bethesda University of California 80-62. The Lions have defeated the Flames both times this season. Samantha Doucette (JR/Irvine, CA) added 22 points in the win.
The Lions rode an impressive offensive display by their top two scorers as they picked up a third straight non- conference victory. This was an important game to steady their win-loss record outside of league play, as they only have one contest remaining that is not against another GSAC opponent (January 20th against Cal State University- San Marcos).
Holsinger lived at the free throw line in the contest, making a staggering 15 of 17 attempts. Vanguard shot 44 free throws in the contest, more than double the amount the Flames took. The Lions make a conscience attempt to take the ball hard to the basket, attempting less three-point shots than normal.
Jamie Goff chipped in seven points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes of play; Amber Alexander(JR/Grand Blanc, MI) scored 11 points and grabbed six boards.
Despite the 18 point margin of victory, the Lions shot a meager 68% from the charity stripe and only made 2 of 9 attempts from behind the arc.
The loss drops Bethesda to 7-11 on the season. The Flames shining star was Emilie Muanandibu who poured in 16 points on 8-14 shooting while also snatching 14 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass.
Bethesda opened the game with the lead in the first four minutes of the contest and Vanguard didn’t grab its first advantage in the game until the 13:58 mark on a good three throw by Alexander.
The two teams spent most of the first half locked in a tight battle, as the Lions only managed to build a lead of seven points going into halftime.
For the second straight game, Vanguard stormed out of halftime ballooning the lead to 44-26 less than 2:30 into the final frame.
The Flames countered with a 12-4 run, bringing the score to 48-38 with 14:54 left in the game. Over the next 10 game minutes, Vanguard doubled its lead to 20 points with Lauren Martin(JR/Torrance, CA) hitting one of two free throws.
The Lions harnessed a game high lead of 26 points with 2:12 before the final buzzer, as Goff scored a layup making it a 78-52 margin.
Vanguard moves into GSAC competition, embarking on a three game road trip beginning first against San Diego Christian. The game is slated for January 6th starting at 5:30 PM at Grossmont College.
