Boyd drives comeback

COSTA MESA — Beating Golden State Athletic Conference opponents never seems to go out of style for the Vanguard University women's basketball team. So, it was fitting that the Lions' comeback win over visiting Concordia in the conference opener Tuesday night amounted to project runway.

After managing just four inside baskets during a first half in which they accumulated a 38-29 deficit, the No. 5-ranked Lions spread the floor and gashed the Eagles' defense with drives that produced 12 second-half field goals from inside six feet.

And when the ball didn't go in the basket, a whistle sent Vanguard to the free-throw line, as it made 36 of 48 foul shots. Concordia (3-2) made only six of 13 free-throw attempts and failed to sustain some hot first-half shooting past the early stage of the second half.

"[The Eagles] came in with a lot of confidence, but we let them go off with their confidence at the beginning of the game," said Vanguard senior point guard Sarah Boyd, who was the model of offensive aggression for the Lions on her way to 17 points. "They had all the momentum, because we didn't step up."

But, Boyd said, the Lions finally began embracing Coach Russ Davis' game plan, which was to drive repeatedly to the basket with a lineup that eventually consisted of four guards and senior Molly Pfohl.

"We started to attack to score," said Boyd, who missed all four of her field-goal tries in the first half and wound up three for 16 for the game, but netted 11 of 12 foul shots. "In the first half, we were super passive."

The increased aggression on offense also helped the Lions buckle down at the defensive end. They held Concordia to 37.8% shooting from the field in the final 20 minutes, after the Eagles netted 16 of 30 in the first half.

"We didn't play great," Davis said. "But when you don't play well, you've got to give the other team credit. Concordia did a great job of confusing us. They had 38 points at halftime and that doesn't happen [to us] very often.

"But they had trouble guarding us and they kept fouling us. We made 30 more free throws than they did."

Still, Concordia hit three three-pointers within a span of just less than four minutes early in the second half and led, 53-41, with 13:56 left.

But a three-point play by Boyd sparked a 9-0 Vanguard run and the Lions eventually pulled even at 61-61 on a layup by Pfohl with 6:55 left.