Vanguard advances to NAIA’s Sweet 16

If the Vanguard University women’s basketball team’s regular season

surprised anyone, the Lions are proving that their performance was

merely expected.

The evidence came in Vanguard’s 62-48 victory over Mobile

University of Alabama in the first round of the NAIA National

Championships at the Oman Arena Wednesday night.

The Lions (26-9) are in the NAIA tournament’s Sweet 16 (second

round of the 32-team field) for the first time since 1999, and for

the second time in school history.

Vanguard, ranked No. 7 in the NAIA, will play in the second round

Friday at 4:30 p.m. CST, against the winner of today’s game between

Transylvania and Auburn Montgomery.

Senior guard Robbin Dittenbir led Vanguard with 11 points, while fellow senior guard Laura Lee added 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting

from the field. Senior Paulette Seaman connected on three

three-pointers. Lee and sophomore point guard Lacey Mills (eight

points) drained two three-pointers each, as the Lions finished with

nine treys, while Mobile did not have points from beyond the arc.

Vanguard, the Golden State Athletic Conference champion which was

picked to finished ninth by the circuit’s coaches, shot 9 of 30 (30%)

from three-point range. Mobile was 0 for 18 from threedom.

Coach Russ Davis said his team’s greatest strength is balance and

that showed in the statistics as Seaman (nine points) and senior

Courtney McKinney (nine) were one point away from double figures.

Sophomore Jennifer Wilcox contributed eight points to go with her

team-leading 11 rebounds. Vanguard features seven players who average

six or more points per game.

The Lions built a 19-10 lead in the first 11 minutes, but the Rams

(22-13) came back with a 7-0 run and Vanguard settled for a 24-23

halftime lead.

Vanguard outscored the Rams, 7-2, in the first 1:30 of the second

half for a 31-25 lead.

Mobile came within, 33-32, with 13:45 left, but Lee, Vanguard’s

all-time leader in three-pointers, nailed a three-pointer to give the

Lions new life. Lee’s shot ignited a 10-0 run that put Vanguard in

control.

The Lions stretched their lead to 53-40 with 7:20 left after Mills

canned a three-pointer and then they went up, 56-40, with 6:00

remaining after Seaman hammered home a trey.