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Men’s Basketball: Lions cruise at home

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In order to create a season they will always remember, the seniors playing for the Vanguard University men’s basketball team have had to forget the recent past.

The Lions, who claimed the program’s first NAIA national championship last season, looked anything but content during a 102-52 nonconference thrashing of visiting West Coast Baptist on Tuesday.

The No. 1-ranked Lions, coming off a 32-6 campaign in which they won their last nine games, improved to 3-0 by handing the Eagles their first loss in three games this season.

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The instantly overwhelmed visitors missed their first 15 field-goal attempts and 18 of their first 19 on their way to shooting 26.7% from the field (16 for 60, including eight for 33 from three-point range) for the game.

West Coast Baptist also committed 20 turnovers, including 17 in the final 20 minutes, after Soliday related his disappointment to his players during the break.

“We had a little team meeting at halftime about physical and mental toughness, because I thought we were lacking it a little in the first half,” said Soliday, who added that he was pleased by his team’s second-half effort.

There was plenty to be pleased with in each half, as the Lions attacked at both ends. Vanguard shot 57.6% from the field in the first 20 minutes, when it had just five turnovers and built a 41-25 lead.

However, the Eagles used a 12-5 run to end the half to pare what was once a 23-point deficit.

But the Lions opened the second half on a 15-4 run and followed that with a subsequent burst of 11-0 that became a 17-1 surge that expanded the lead to 86-44. After two Eagles free throws, Vanguard scored the next seven points and led by as many as 51.

The Lions have now held their three opponents to 51, 52 and 52 points, respectively. They limited foes to fewer than 55 points only once last season (a 75-47 romp over Pacific Union).

Senior guards DeAngelo Jones and Chris Gorman led the way, but eight Lions flirted with double figures.

Jones made three of five three-pointers and six of 11 from the field to post a team-best 19 points. He added six rebounds in 19 minutes.

Gorman, an All-American as a junior, had 11 points, eight assists and five rebounds, while senior Keith Mason chipped in 11 points and a team-best 11 rebounds in just 18 minutes.

Malachi Hoosein, a 6-foot-2 freshman guard out of Gahr High, netted four of eight three-point tries on his way to 17 points in 18 reserve minutes, while senior Jordan Diandy added eight points and eight boards off the bench.

Starting forwards Zach Allmon (nine points and seven rebounds) and Selle Hann (nine points and six boards) also played solidly in 36 combined minutes, while backup Kwinn Hanson, a 6-6 junior transfer from Spokane Community College, had nine points and six rebounds in 17 minutes.

Eight different Lions contributed to the team’s 14 steals and the hosts amassed a 66-33 edge on the glass.

“I think we are a little ahead of where we were last year at this time, but I don’t necessarily believe that we’re the best team in the country right now,” Soliday said. “I think we’re good and we have a chance to reach a high ceiling. But we have some things to get better at.

“But no matter what has happened in the past, we have seven seniors who are going to remember their senior year,” Soliday said. “And they are committed to making this a memorable season.”

Eagles Coach Curt Beeson might hope to simply forget Tuesday’s trouncing.

“Vanguard is tough for us,” Beeson said. “Compared to us, they are big, they are athletic and they are quick. They shoot the ball well and they do a lot of stuff well. Shoot, they are good.”

The Lions may find out just how good beginning this weekend. They meet No. 15-ranked Westminter of Utah on Friday to open the Las Vegas Classic, then battle No. 22-ranked Rocky Mountain College on Saturday.

The Lions visit No. 3-ranked Cal State San Marcos on Nov. 22.

Nonconference

Vanguard 102, West Coast Baptist 52

WCB – Burkett 22, Vicente 16, Rasmussen 3, Foster 6, Sisson 3, Burcham 2.

3-pt- goals – Burkett 4, Vicente 2, Foster 2.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

VU – Hann 9, Allmon 9, Mason 11, Jones 19, Gorman 11, Hoosein 17, Hanson 9, Diandy 8, Ware 5, Staats 2, Muandumba 2.

3-pt. goals – Hoosein 4, Jones 3, Gorman 3, Hann 1, Ware 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

Halftime – 41-25, VU.

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