Seekins delivers for Lions

COSTA MESA ? Vanguard University senior forward Levi Seekins said he was the last option, but senior point guard Horace Wormely clearly had a different idea. It was, as it turned out, the right idea for the Lions.

Seekins, who could be called “Mr. Overtime” for his clutch performances in two previous Vanguard overtime victories, nailed a three-pointer with 14 seconds left to force overtime in the Lions’ Golden State Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament quarterfinal.

Seekins then sank a driving layup and netted a 16-foot jumper early in overtime to spur Vanguard to a 95-81 victory over Westmont.

The win propelled the No. 3-seeded Lions (20-11) into Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. semifinal against San Diego Christian (21-8) at Hope International in Fullerton. Vanguard split its two conference games against San Diego Christian.

The play was diagramed during a timeout with 22 seconds left and the Lions trailing, 75-72. After penetrating from the top of the key, Wormely passed to Seekins, who had missed his first three second-half field-goal attempts and had just seven points, in the left corner.

Seekins’ late heroics helped eliminate a supremely focused Westmont squad that had lost five players to season-ending injuries.

The Warriors played as if they were fully loaded in the first 20 minutes. They seized a 22-7 edge midway through the first half and led, 40-34, at halftime.

“[Westmont’s] John Moore is a very good coach and they came out in a triangle-and-two defense, playing man-to-man on Levi and Horace,” Vanguard Coach Bob Wilson said. That took us out of our offensive flow, until we cold adjust at halftime.”

Those adjustments, as well as improved shooting and career nights by senior Tim Burnette (15 points and 13 rebounds) and junior De’Auonte Johnson (30 points, five three-pointers, and seven boards) helped put Seekins in position to come to the rescue.

“I hadn’t been hitting all night, so I was the last option,” Seekins said of the play that sent the game into overtime. “Horace was supposed to penetrate and kick it to the wing, or behind him [the top of the key]. I got it in the corner and it came off my hand well. That’s why you practice those shots.”

Wormely, the 5-foot-6 point guard who was named GSAC Player of the Year on Monday, earned the 14th of his 15 assists by finding Seekins in the corner.

After Burnette opened overtime with a reverse lay-in and Seekins’ back-to-back buckets gave the Lions some breathing room, Johnson converted five straight free throws and a dunk to put the game out of reach.

Johnson, who made 10 of 16 field-goal attempts and 5 of 7 three-pointers, scored 11 points in overtime.

Wormely finished with 13 points, Seekins had 14 and Greg Gusiff added 14, including four three-pointers.

“Levi has hit those clutch shots all year,” Wilson said. “That [last play of regulation] is our penetrate and pitch. Normally, we leave our big guys under the basket. But since we needed the three, we sent him to the corner.”

Wilson also had high praise for Burnette and Johnson.

“De’Auonte was huge the entire game and Burnette played his best game all year,” Wilson said.

It’s Vanguard’s first 20-win season since 1996-97.

Senior guard Aaron Tudor scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Warriors, nearly double his previous best (13).

Freshman Tyler Dutton was also pivotal for the visitors, scoring 20 of his 24 points before halftime, when he drained 6 of 8 from three-point range.

Westmont shot 61.5% from beyond the arc before halftime, 60% overall for the half, and finished at 49.2% from the field.

Vangaurd was 5 of 5 from the field in overtime to wind up at 52.4% for the game.