Men’s Basketball: Lions win big at home
The Vanguard University men’s basketball team is cruising along nicely this season, but Coach Rhett Soliday is still waiting for his team to find its optimal flow.
Tuesday’s 92-48 nonconference victory over visiting Shepherd University demonstrated both points.
The Lions (12-4, with their four losses coming by a combined 16 points) were superior at both ends against the Los Angeles-based Thundering Herd (3-15).
But there were those 20 turnovers (the most in Vanguard’s last 12 games), and bouts of sloppiness, despite a .544 shooting percentage (37 for 68) and a 58-18 advantage in points in the paint.
Vanguard also produced a 53-27 rebounding windfall and forced 25 turnovers, while limiting the visitors to 33.9% shooting from the field (21 for 62), and barely half that (18.2%) from three-point range (four for 22).
Junior guard Malachi Hoosein was two assists away from a triple-double, as he led the winners with 17 points and also chipped in 11 rebounds.
“Malachi is playing well at both ends,” Soliday said. “He has really made strides the last couple years on defense and he is to the point where he doesn’t need to be making shots to impact a game.”
Hoosein was seven for 16 from the field, but just one for seven from threedom. His rebounds and assists were both career bests.
Junior Jamaal Lee, in his first season after transferring from Orange Coast College, had 12 points and 13 rebounds to secure his fourth double-double of the season. He also contributed four assists and three steals, one shy of Hoosein’s game-high total.
Senior Zach Allmon had 13 points and eight rebounds, making five of eight field-goal tries, while freshman point guard Shacquille Dawkins had 10 points, six assists and three steals.
Dawkins connected on four of six field-goal attempts, including two of three from three-point range.
Senior reserve forward Aubrey Myers Jr. had a season-high 12 points, netting all five of his field-goal tries, including one three-pointer.
Senior Kwinn Hanson chipped in 10 points on five-for-eight shooting to help the Lions produce a 40-18 advantage in bench scoring.
The 44-point margin was the third-best of the season for the Lions, who had lost four of their previous five coming in, including a 75-71 conference setback at William Jessup on Thursday.
Junior guard Billy Keller, in his first game after missing time with torn thumb ligaments, had five points, four assists and three rebounds in 19 quality minutes.
“I think we have as good a chance as anybody [in the Golden State Athletic Conference], and I think the conference is wide open this year,” Soliday said. “We’ve got to be more consistent with our offensive execution. We haven’t emerged yet as a really mature team that is on the same page with our offensive execution. I think defensively there are moments in which we’re really good. We fly around and play with effort, and can turn people over and speed teams up. But it’s about getting the right shot on every possession and understanding how to create that flow.”
One sour note for Vanguard was sophomore starter Brandon Brothers exiting the game in the second half with an apparent left knee injury. Soliday said it’s believed to be a strained ligament, though time will tell.
NONCONFERENCE
Vanguard 92, Shepherd 48
Shep – Ruffin 6, Brooks 17, Key 3, Sayles 2, Hatfield 2, Nixon 10, Petersen 8.
3-pt. goals – Petersen 2, Brooks 1, Key 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
VU – Lee 12, Allmon 13, Hoosein 17, Dawkins 10, Brothers 0, Myers 12, Hanson 10, Keller 5, Idris 5, Ball 4, Wilborn 2, Ware-Berry 2.
3-pt. goals – Dawkins 2, Hoosein 1, Keller 1, Myers 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
Halftime – 39-26, VU.
