Women’s basketball: Vanguard wins 46th at home

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - This one was for Russ.

With Vanguard University’s women’s basketball Coach Russ Davis out with a

bad back, the Lions, No. 8 in NAIA Division I, had to go without their

coach against No. 23 Concordia in a battle for the top spot in the Golden

State Athletic Conference Saturday night.

And host Vanguard won it for coach, in a heart-stopping 88-87 game at the

Pit. It makes it 46 in a row at home for the Lions and gives them a share

of the GSAC lead with Concordia.

“This game was important because our coach wasn’t with us,” Lions guard

Marisa Emde said. “We wanted to win one for him.”

It was Emde that scored the one point that allowed Vanguard (15-3, 4-1 in

conference) to pull it out. With one second left, she was fouled by Jenny

Hansen while driving to the hoop. She sank her first free throw and

missed her second. Nevertheless, the first one touched off a celebration

on the court when Concordia did not get the rebound.

“I can’t remember anything about the play,” Emde, who led Vanguard with

21 points, said of the one that drew the foul. “All I knew was that we

needed one point.”

“The time was running out, so when there was a seam, the girls were

supposed to take the ball in,” said Vanguard assistant coach Mike

Chearney, who took the helm with fellow assistants Angela Sather, Joel

Kinong and Jack Aldhadeff. “That’s how Russ Davis taught them. This is

Russ Davis’ team. I’m just an assistant. He got the win for us.”

Concordia (14-3, 4-1) pulled off an improbable comeback just to tie the

game up. With Vanguard leading, 85-80, The Eagles’ Jamie Gast, who had 38

points and 14 rebounds, both game highs, reeled off five points in a row,

including one off a steal. When Gast’s teammate Taryn Commins put back a

rebound with 36 seconds left, and the game was knotted at 85.

Vanguard’s Beth Weidler then sank two free throws to put the Lions up

again, but Gast came back with a tough shot from the post with 12 seconds

left. That set up Emde’s game-winning free throw.

Concordia also came back from a 10-point deficit late in the first half

and tied the game, 35-35 with a 10-0 run. That run was extended to 14-0

in the second half before Vanguard’s Paulette Seaman ended it with an

impressive drive and layup.

The Lions then kept the Eagles at bay, thanks to some big time threes

from Laura Lee and a 15 point, 11 rebound performance from Kelly Boeke.

Lee hit two three-pointers in the final two minutes that gave Vanguard

the 85-80 lead. Four of her six threes came in the second half, and she

scored 20.

The win was a nice comeback for Vanguard from an atrocious loss to Pt.

Loma Nazarene on Jan. 11, and halfway through the season, considering the

opponent, it was Vanguard’s most important win.

“This game puts us in first place,” Chearney said. “And I don’t want to

be responsible for ending the streak.”

Oh yes, the streak. Vanguard extends its impressive run at the raucous

Pit to 46. Concordia was ‘thisclose’ to ending it, except one item

besides a free throw got in the way.

“Pride,” Chearney said.

GOLDEN STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Vanguard 88, Concordia 87

Concordia - Gast 38, Commins 15, Covington 15, Kopp 3, Bendik 2,

Michelson 8, Hanson 3, King 3, Hansen 0.

3-pt. goals - Covington 5, Michelson 2, Hanson 1, King 1.

Fouled out - Bendik.

Technicals - None.

Vanguard - Emde 21, Boeke 15, Seaman 8, Huddle 4, Hernando 0, Lee 20,

Weidler 12, Candelaria 8, McKinney 0.

3-pt. goals - Lee 6, Emde 4, Seaman 2.

Fouled out - Seaman, Candelaria, Huddle.

Technicals - Seaman 1.

Halftime - 35-35, tie.