Costa Mesa, Calif. - The Pit - The San Diego Christian Hawks made themselves at home at The Pit this evening, shooting an incredible 61.4% from the field and 41.2% from the three-point line to defeat Vanguard in GSAC men's basketball. Looking to sweep the season series over the Hawks, the Lions could not keep up with the visitors' sizzling touch, as SDCC defeated VU 88-73 to avenge a January loss to the Lions.

The first half belonged to the visiting Hawks who scored first and quickly soared out to a 20-4 lead in the opening seven minutes of play. Midway through the period SDCC led 29-10 as the Lions struggled shooting 33% from the field and were soundly outrebounded by the Hawks. Chris Kupets, Chris Raybon, and Cameron Nettles sparked the Lions to an 8-0 run, cutting SDCC's lead to 11 points, but VU's momentum shift was temporary as the Hawks immediately returned the deficit to 15 points. Trailing 37-22 with 4:39 left in the half, Nettles, Cameron Khoury, and Kupets led another 8-0 Vanguard spree to pull the Lions within seven points, 37-30, as the first half ended.

Vanguard's defense, causing 12 Hawk turnovers, helped the Lions stay in the game despite SDCC winning the shooting and rebounding battles in the first 20 minutes. The Lions also only committed two fouls in the first half and the Hawks did not make it to the free throw line, while the Lions made 6-of-8 from the charity stripe.

Looking to turn things around in the second half, Vanguard cut SDCC's margin to five points as Nettles scored on the first possession of the period. The Lions were able to match the Hawks for the first four minutes of the frame until the visitors took advantage of a Vanguard miss and turnover, quickly spreading the gap back to double digits by the 15:15 mark. Despite only three second-half turnovers, the Lions could not maintain pace with the pin-point accuracy of the Hawks. Trailing by 17 points, 61-44 with 11:46 to play, the Lions mounted another comeback attempt. Sparked by Raybon and Chris Pynch, the Lions marched back into the game, bringing the home crowd with them. A trey by Pynch and two free throws from Raybon capped a 24-10 Vanguard rally, bringing the hosts within three points, 71-68 with 5:03 on the clock.

Unfortunately, the Hawks refocused their sights on the target and scored on their next four possessions while holding the Lions scoreless and without a rebound for the next 2:30.  Scoring 11 straight points, SDCC's final spree secured the win for the Hawks and crushed all hopes of a Vanguard comeback.

All five Hawk starters hit double digits in scoring, led by Raphael Rodriguez with 10 points and five assists, followed closely by Tim Sanders with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Benji Arvizu added 13 points and four assists, while Johnny Delbene and Calvin Seaberry added 12 points each. Delbene chipped in a team-high seven assists and Seaberry collected a double-double with 11 boards, including five offensive. The Hawks made 35-of-57 shots from the field and 7-of-17 from three-point distance, and out-rebounded Vanguard 43-26 in the contest. SDCC improves to 6-14 overall and 2-11 in GSAC with the victory.

Raybon topped the Lions with 24 points and seven rebounds, and Nettles finished with 18 points and five rebounds. Kupets also hit double figures with 14 points and passed out a team-high five assists. The Lions only had nine turnovers as a team and made 16-of-19 free throws, but shot a mere 36% from the field and 25% from three-point land in the loss.

The Lions slide to 13-11 overall and 5-8 in GSAC, losing their fourth game in a row. Things do not get any easier either as the teams are fighting for a spot in the playoffs. The Lions, sitting in seventh place in the conference standings, are scheduled to take on No. 25-ranked The Master's College this Saturday at The Pit. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be Vanguard's Homecoming game.