by Costa Mesa, Calif. – The NAIA Game of the Week pitched the 12th ranked Vanguard University against the visiting #11 The Master’s College. The Lions won 72-58 in front of a packed homecoming crowd. Riley Holsinger (Nez Perce Tribe) led all scorers with 27 points (4-5 from downtown) and also grabbed eight rebounds.
Samantha Doucette (JR/Irvine, CA) scored for 12 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Maya Kennedy (SO/Huntington Beach, CA) scored 14, adding four dimes and two steals as well. Amber Alexander (JR/Grand Blanc, MI) narrowly missed out on a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Lions jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead with a strike from downtown by Kennedy and four points by Alexander. Vanguard’s leading scorer Holsinger popped a three-pointer from the top of the key and Kennedy hit her second shot from distance on back to back possessions, as the Lions led 13-3 at the 15:54 mark.
As VU continued its balanced approach, Doucette got in on the action with a touch baseline runner and swished in a jumper from the right elbow on the following possession.
Doucette drained both free throws to build a 19-4 advantage before Shannon Kingery put through a three-point basket to cut the Lions lead to 12.
Hannah Tabron didn’t wait long to get in on the action as she too made a three pointer right after she entered the game. With 12 minutes left in the first half, Vanguard was shooting 8-10 with five three-point baskets as Holsinger hit her second of the period.
As the game ticked under nine minutes before intermission and the Lions holding a 25-12 advantage, Tabron dropped in her second trey ball, this time from the right wing. If the previous explosion from three point land wasn’t enough, Holsinger and Kennedy both hit another from the top of the key and right corner respectively, moving the lions to 8-11 in the first half with seven minutes remaining.
Vanguard had the Mustangs doubled up, leading 34-17, with 6:07 before halftime. Off a beautiful feed from Lauren Martin (JR/Torrance, CA) from the out-of-bounds set piece, Holsinger completed a lefty layup to put The Pride up 36-19. In an effort to make the degree of difficult on her shots higher, Holsinger banked in a tough lefty lay-in with 1:30 left in the first frame.
The Mustangs hit a left corner three pointer at the buzzer to cut the lead to 41-26. At the break, Holsinger led all scorers with 13 points and four boards. Kennedy added nine, Doucette eight with four rebounds, and Tabron hit two treys for six points. Lions shot 62% from downtown and were plus-five in points off turnovers. One of the few categories VU didn’t top was bench points, trailing TMC 18-7.
At the 17:30 mark and Vanguard leading 45-29, Bianca Cubello trimmed off two points for the Mustangs, sinking both from the charity stripe.
Vanguard went on a quick 4-0 run as Doucette hit a running left handed lay-in and then Kennedy eventually scored a layup off a fumbled steal with 16:00 remaining in the tilt.
Holsinger knocked in a 15-foot jumper as Vanguard increased the advantage to 20 points. Kennedy hit another shot from behind the arc as the Lions now led 54-33 with just over 13 minutes left in the game.
The Mustangs narrowed it to a 13 point game with 10:50 remaining as the Lions went through a cold spell. A few minutes later, TMC had cut it to single digits as Vanguard now led 54-45.
Holsinger took control on the following possession knocking home a free throw line jumper, off a beautiful spin move, and once again VU had a 11 point advantage.
Sidney Emory drained a left wing three pointer to bring the Mustangs within eight before Holsinger struck right back with a triple (her fourth on the night) to put the Lions up double-digits again.
Alexander’s cross over and lay-in put the Lions up 15 and they never looked back over the final 3:30 and sustaining a 67-54 lead as the game went under two minutes to go.
The Blue and Gold secured the rock and made their free throws down the stretch to win by 14. Vanguard has a few days off before heading up to William Jessup on February 7th.
