BREAKING NEWS

For information on the NAIA Tournament, click here.

JACKSON, Tenn. — Depending on which side of the court you were watching, the Vanguard University women’s basketball team turned the game plan preferred by Carroll College of Montana, inside out, and/or outside in, Saturday.

The result was a commanding 71-56 victory for the Lions in the quarterfinals of the NAIA Division I Tournament at Oman Arena.

Carroll (27-6), which came in leading the NAIA in three-point shooting accuracy (44.1% on 692 attempts), made just one of its first 14 attempts beyond the arc, 1 for 13 in the first half. That was largely the product of Vanguard’s extended zone defensive pressure.

On the offensive end, Vanguard rode the outside shooting of its 6-foot-1 center, Lauren Gregory, who made five three-pointers on her way to a game-high 22 points.

Vanguard (27-5), ranked No, 4 in the final Division I poll, has now advanced to the “Fab Four” three straight seasons. The Lions will face No. 1 overall seed Union of Tennessee (35-0) in a Monday semifinal at 6 p.m.

“I thought our defense won it for us tonight,” Vanguard Coach Russ Davis said, “We caused 28 turnovers and we only had 10. We didn’t shoot particularly well [40.6%, the Lions’ worst of the tournament, making 26 of 64 field-goal attempts], but we did a good job of getting on their shooters and making them take rushed shots.

“And we also countered [on offense]. I’m happy for Lauren, who I thought really stepped up, big-time. I told her before the game that she was going to be the leading scorer, because after watching tape [of Carroll], I thought she could really take advantage of [the Fighting Saints’ frontcourt defenders].”

Gregory, a transfer from Division II Drury University in Missouri whom Davis said is playing her best basketball of the season right now, said she took Davis’ premonition to heart.

“Coach told me people were going to slough off on me, so I just went out and took my shots and tried not to think about it,” said Gregory, who was eight of 16 from the field, five of eight from three-point range and added six rebounds and two blocked shots. “I just stepped up and hit shots. I can go inside and out. I can get in there and post up, but I like being outside the most.”

Gregory nailed a three-pointer in two of Vanguard’s 7-0 runs in the first half and was three of four from three-point range in the first 20 minutes to lead all scorers with 12.

Vanguard senior Melissa Cook added two first-half three-pointers to help the Lions turn a 5-0 deficit into a 30-18 halftime cushion.

After Carroll senior Danielle Maloney sank a three-pointer to open the scoring 19 seconds into the contest, the Fighting Saints, ranked No. 13 in the final poll, missed 14 straight from beyond the arc, extending into the second half.

“Our defense on the outside was incredible,” Gregory said. “We just kept them down outside.”

Carroll had 12 of its first-half points in the paint, as it found success on the parquet floor prohibitive.

“We wanted to extend our pressure, make them shoot rushed shots and not get good looks,” Davis said, “because if they get good looks, they don’t miss.”

Carroll had made 19 of 44 three-point tries in its two previous tournament wins (43.2%) and its 305 three-pointers coming into Saturday ranked second in Division I.

Carroll finished eight of 25 beyond the arc (32%) against Vanguard.

After finishing the first half on a 5-0 spurt, Vanguard exploded out of intermission, scoring the first nine points of the final half to create a 39-18 advantage.

Another Gregory three-pointer gave the Lions a game-high 22-point lead with 17:06 left, basically rendering the remainder of the game an emotional countdown for the Fighting Saints, for whom four of their five seniors start.

Carroll did make seven three-pointers in the final 16:52 to finish eight for 25 beyond the arc (32%). The Saints shot 42.9% from the field.

Vanguard senior All-American Jessica Richter spearheaded the perimeter pressure for the winners and broke out in the second half, scoring 14 of her 18 points. She finished six of 12 from the field and made six of her seven foul shots. Despite playing only 25 minutes due to foul trouble, she added three rebounds, two steals and one assist.

Cook, who averaged 20 points in the first two Vanguard tournament wins, had 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Her four assists were also a team high and she added two steals.

Backup point guard Bridgette Reyes had eight points off the bench, making three of four field-goal attempts, while freshman point guard Sarah Boyd chipped in four points, a team-best three steals, as well as two assists.

Freshman Paige Halberg also had a pair of assists and her length and ability to occupy the passing lanes, led to a handful of turnovers.

Vanguard scored 25 points off turnovers and wound up outscoring the Fighting Saints, 32-24, in the paint, largely due to a string of layups in transition.

“I’m just extremely happy for these seniors [Richter, Cook and Lindsey Rinke], to go to three straight Final Fours,” Davis said. “I told our girls, though, that we didn’t come here to get to the Final Four. We came here to raise big banners, so we’re not happy right now. We’re excited to get another day to play, but we’re not content.”

Gregory, in her first season at Vanguard, said making Monday’s semifinals, on the day she will celebrate her 21st birthday, was worth savoring.

“This is awesome,” Gregory said. “I’ve never been here before, so it’s an awesome feeling. I’m really excited.”

??

NAIA Division I Tournament?

Quarterfinal?

Vanguard 71, Carroll 56?

CC – Heidenreich 4, Rochelle 8, Fuzesy 11, Courchaine 9, Maloney 9, Mills 6, Bruursema 5, Meyer 4.

3-pt. goals – Fuzesy 3, Courchaine 3, Maloney 2.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

VU – Cook 17, Gregory 22, Richter 18, Boyd 4, Halberg 0, Reyes 8, Rinke 2.

3-pt. goals – Gregory 5, Cook 2.

Fouled out – None.