Lions earn title

Barry Faulkner

Things got better for the Vanguard University women’s basketball team

Tuesday night when it started pressing, as well as when it stopped

pressing. The two may even have had something to do with each other,

as the Lions rallied for a 76-59 win over visiting Biola in the

championship game of the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament

at The Pit.

The conference regular-season champions (29-2) gained some energy

by putting on a full-court press to start the second half, after

Biola (20-13) used a strong defensive effort of its own to take a

29-26 intermission lead.

The increased tempo created by the press also helped the hosts

flow more effectively in their offense, after struggling through a

season-worst 28.1% shooting in the first 20 minutes.

Vanguard missed its first 10 field-goal attempts, as well as five

of its final six field-goal tries of the first half.

“I think we were letting the fact that our shots weren’t going in,

affect our intensity and effort,” VU Coach Russ Davis said of the

first-half lull.

“We lacked some energy and we weren’t making shots,” said Vanguard

junior point guard and GSAC Player of the Year Lisa Faulkner.

Faulkner, who scored 10 of her 13 points after intermission, said the

press helped create some energy, and allowed the hosts to relax.

The Lions will make their sixth trip to the NAIA Division I

tournament that runs March 17-23 in Jackson, Tennessee. Pairings will

be announced today.

Six Lions scored in double figures, led by All-GSAC freshman

forward Kelly Schmidt (16 point to go with a team-high 11 rebounds),

and freshman forward Lacey Burns, who scored 12 of her 16 after

halftime and finished with seven boards.

Rachel Besse, a 6-foot-3 freshman All-GSAC center, added 11

points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots, while Faulkner chipped

in 13 assists.

Junior Lacey Mills and freshman Lindsay McClellan each had 10

points for the winners.

Vanguard, whose win avenged an 85-66 home loss to Biola Jan. 31,

shot 60.7% after halftime (17 of 28) to close the deal.

“They were awesome in the second half,” Biola Coach Tom Pryor said

of the Lions. “I thought their shooting in the second half was the

difference.”

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Golden State Athletic

Conference tournament

Championship game

Vanguard 76, Biola 59

Biola -- Baird 11, Hill 1, Ogugua 12, Matthews 11, Dulin 5, Richelli 12, Crawford 7. 3-pt. goals -- Dulin 1, Baird 1, Matthews 1, Crawford 1. Fouled out -- Hill. Technicals -- None. Vanguard -- Schmidt 16, Burns 16, Besse 11, Faulkner 13, Mills 10,

McClellan 10. 3-pt. goals -- Faulkner 3, Mills 2, Burns 1, McClellan 1. Fouled out -- None. Technicals -- None. Halftime -- Biola, 29-26.

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