VU title dreams dashed

The Vanguard University women’s basketball team was eliminated in the

quarterfinals of the NAIA Division I tournament Saturday by Brescia

University of Kentucky, 65-61, at Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn.

The Lions (31-3), seeded No. 3 in the 32-team field, fell behind,

7-0, and trailed, 31-21, at halftime.

Playing their third game in three days, the Golden State Athletic

Conference champions never got closer than four points after

halftime, until scoring eight points in the final 15 seconds. The

last-ditch fury included three-pointers by junior guards Lisa

Faulkner and Lacey Mills.

Vanguard Coach Russ Davis, who started three freshmen and two

juniors on an eight-player team that set a school single-season

victory record, admitted fatigue may have played a role in the Lions’

slow start.

But Davis, reached by phone, gave credit to Brescia, which boasted

five seniors among its top six scorers.

“That was the best team we’ve played,” Davis said of the Bearcats

(30-5), who advance to Monday’s semifinals. “They had a lot of energy

and really got after us. They reminded me of our Final Four team last

year, that had a bunch of seniors. We were outplayed and outcoached

today.”

Faulkner, the GSAC Player of the Year and the NAIA Division I

assist leader (9.8 per game), picked up three quick fouls midway

through the first half and sat the final 10:29 of the opening period.

After Vanguard had pulled to within 17-16 on two Rachel Besse free

throws with 8:35 left in the half, Brescia went on a 14-3 run from

which the Lions could not recover.

“Losing Lisa with three fouls in the first half really hurt us,”

Davis said.

A Faulkner three-pointer pulled the Lions within 55-50 with 4:19

left and Faulkner, who scored all 13 of her points and posted three

of her four assists in the second half, drained another three ball

with 2:16 left to cut Brescia’s lead to 58-53.

The two teams exchanged misses on the next four possessions and

Brescia missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw situation

with 42 seconds left

But 5-foot-10 senior forward Jennifer Flener, who canned two free

throws with 11 seconds left to secure a 43-42 quarterfinal win for

the Bearcats Friday, rebounded the missed foul shot to help send the

Lions home.

“The girls are upset, but I’m very proud of them,” Davis said. “To

go 31-3 with no seniors and only eight players is unbelievable. I

think [the players] have a little fire in their bellies, now. I know

they’ll work hard to get back here next year. We’re going to be tough

to beat next year.”

Mills, who was 7 of 13 from the field and 5 of 10 from three-point

range, finished with a game-high 19 points, while Besse, a 6-3

All-GSAC freshman center, added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Freshman Kelly Schmidt, an All-GSAC forward, contributed 12 points

and 10 rebounds and Faulkner finished 5 of 10 from the field, 3 of 6

beyond the arc.

Vanguard shot 38.9% from the field to Brescia’s 36.4%, but the

Lions’ 15 turnovers were nearly double the Bearcats’ eight.

Freshman Lacey Burns had eight rebounds and four points for the

Lions, whose three reserves were 0 for 7 from the field and did not

score in 31 combined minutes.

Flener had 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Misty Fenwick scored

11 of her team-high 16 points after intermission for the winners.

*--*

NAIA Division I tournament

Quarterfinal

Brescia 65, Vanguard 61

Brescia -- Fenwick 16, Sparks 8, Flener 15, Ballard 6, Felchner 12, Simmons 6, Croger 2. 3-pt. goals -- Fenwick 4, Sparks 1, Simmons 1. Fouled out -- Felchner. Technicals -- None. Vanguard -- Schmidt 12, Burns 4, Besse 13, Mills 19, Faulkner 13. 3-pt.

goals -- Mills 5, Faulkner 3. Fouled out -- None. Technicals -- None. Halftime -- Brescia, 31-21.

*--*