By Ron Smith
December 8, 2018
 
(COSTA MESA, Calif.) An overtime buzzer beater by Brandon Brothers gave Vanguard (9-0, 2-0 GSAC) an 81-79 win over #20 Westmont (6-3, 1-1) on Saturday night in Costa Mesa.
 
"It was a game that we defended well and even defended the last play well," said head coach John Moore. "We didn't lose it on the last play, we lost it when we had a chance to close out the game with our defense. We had a key time when we gave up a three that made it a closer game than it needed to be. Then we lost it on our free throws. We had guys who were good free throw shooters and key cutch players who just didn't put the ball through the net at that time."
 
"I think the other thing that really hurt us is that we turned the ball over too much at key times and gave up offensive rebounds at key times," continued Moore. "There were times in regulation where it looked like we would get the rebound and we just couldn't come up with it, so it made it a much tighter game.
 
"It is a few little things that are correctable and we will be better in the long run for it, but this is a hard one to swallow right now."
 
With 1:54 to play, Westmont took a 71-64 advantage on a layup by Kyle Scalmanini. Just 17 seconds later, Vanguard's Malachi Hoosein missed a three-pointer but Connor Kennedy collected the offensive rebound. Deven Riley followed with a three-point bucket that cut Westmont's lead to four (71-67) with 1:21 to play.
 
A Warrior turnover, gave the ball back to the Lions. Kennedy missed a three-point shot but Riley snatched the offensive rebound. That led to another attempt by Kennedy with this one dropping through the net to make the score 71-70 with 54 seconds left in regulation.
 
A free thrown by Scalmanini made the score 72-70 with 16 seconds to play. Eight seconds later, the Warriors were fouled and would have a chance to put the game away from the charity stripe. However, two missed free throws gave Vanguard the ball down just two points.
 
Geremy McKay attempted a shot in the paint that Desean Scott attempted to block from behind. However, Scott was called for a foul on the play and came away limping. Though McKay had missed his four previous attempts from the free throw line, he made both shots to tie the game and send it to overtime – an overtime that would not include Scott.
 
"I really appreciated the way Desean Scott played tonight," noted Moore. "He came into his own tonight. He looked like an All-GSAC player tonight."
 
In the overtime period, Westmont went up 74-72 when Olisa Nwachie sank two free throws. However, the game was quickly tied by Brothers who scored on a jumper.
 
With 2:06 left in overtime, Nwachie grabbed an offensive rebound and slammed home a dunk to put Westmont on top again, 76-74. Moments later, Hoosein tied it up once again with jumper. Maxwell Hudgins made a free throw attempt to put the Warriors up by one before Vanguard took the lead 78-77 on a layup by Hoosein with 26 second to play.
 
Nwachie, who played the entire overtime period with four fouls, was fouled himself with eight second remaining. Nwachie stepped to the line and drained both shots, giving the Warriors a 79-78 advantage.
 
The Warrior defense went to work and kept the Lions from penetrating the lane. Just before time expired, however, Jonah Tolmarie passed the ball to Brothers beyond the arc on the left side. Brothers stepped backed and threw up a shot that banked off the glass and through the net, giving Vanguard the win.
 
Scott led the Warriors in scoring with 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds. He also had four steals. Scalmanini tallied 18 points and five rebounds. Nwachie recorded 15 points and four rebounds.
 
Westmont will be back in action next Saturday when the travel to Claremont to take on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.