by COSTA MESA, Calif. – No. 3 Vanguard opened the 2014-15 season with tight 74-73 win over Bethesda University of California to move to 1-0. Newcomer Riley Holsinger (JR/Nez Perce Tribe) paced The Pride with a game-best 30 points and 6 assists in the affair.
Holsinger began the contest with a deep jumper from the top of the key, but VU found itself trailing by a point on the following trip down as Bethesda sank from behind the arc to take a 3-2 lead.
The Flames’ advantage was short-lived, however, as Holsinger and Ashley Land (SO/Eugene, OR) combined to rattle off three buckets on consecutive possessions to put the Blue and Gold out front 9-3.
Samantha Doucette (JR/Irvine, CA) posted the first official points of her junior campaign to break a 4-0 BUC run, and extended the margin to 13-7 with a second mid-range jumper in the ensuing offensive set.
Bethesda continued to battle, coming within a basket (19-17) midway through the first, following a fast-break lay-up from Rosa Ortiz.
Nicole Zugasti (SR/Glendora, CA) gave Vanguard a little breathing room with a turn-around hook in the paint at 8:58, but once again the Flames matched the effort to keep the contest within reach.
From there, VU began to build on its lead as Holsinger virtually took over to put the Lions up 43-24 after a rare five-point play that saw Holsinger sink a three and Maya Kennedy (SO/Huntington Beach, CA) hit a pair from the charity stripe.
Holsinger led all players at the break with 19 points off of 7-for-11 shooting. She also dished five assists in the half as the Lions took a 20-point (44-24) advantage into the locker room.
In the first eight minutes of the second Bethesda went on an 20-10 run to slice the margin in half (56-46) behind of a pair of Angie Trinidad treys and an and-one on the break from Lisette Longomo.
Jaime Goff (SO/Oregon City, OR) broke a bit of the Flames’ momentum with a bucket in the paint, and Doucette sank one from downtown, but BUC didn’t give up its fight, coming within five points (64-59) of the flustered Lions at the 7:25 mark.
Holsinger recorded her third 3-pointer of the period at 6:54 to stretch out an eight-point edge for VU, but the Lions struggled to get consistent stops on the defensive end and Bethesda was able to keep the score within reach.
With a minute and a half remaining, a Charmaine Nelson triple brought her squad within four (72-68), and Trinidad sank another to make it a one-point contest with just 29 seconds on the clock.
Forced to foul with the clock winding down, the Flames sent Doucette to the line, who nailed both to put VU back out front by three.
Bethesda got the ball back for one last heave near the 3-point line, which it sank, but the referees ruled the shot a two as time ran out.
Doucette finished the game with 18 point, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in 40 minutes of action.
Zugasti, Land and Goff registered 9, 6 and 6 points, respectively, on the night. The trio combined for 17 boards in the game.
Vanguard was out-rebounded 45-41 in the affair.
