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A six-point lead with 1:21 to play was erased as The Master\u2019s University men\u2019s basketball team lost to No. 13 Hope International 81-80 Tuesday night, Jan. 6.<\/p>\n
The Mustangs (10-6, 3-1) led by as much as 10 points with 4:28 to play. The loss was the first conference loss of the season for TMU.<\/p>\n
The Master\u2019s made 30 of 67 (45 percent) from the field, including 14 three-pointers. TMU\u2019s defense held the conference\u2019s No. 1 three-point shooting team to just two of 20 (10 percent) from long range. On the season, the Royals had made more than 41 percent of their shots from behind the arc.<\/p>\n
But that last three-pointer came with 1:21 to play to draw Hope to within three and give it a fresh breath of life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith three minutes to go we didn\u2019t guard or rebound well enough to win a conference game against a nationally ranked team,\u201d said TMU Head Coach Kelvin Starr. \u201cWe played really well for 37 minutes but not good enough for three.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the start it looked like the No. 13 team in the NAIA was going to have its way. The Royals jumped out to a 7-2 early lead, only to find Master\u2019s going on a 12-3 run to show the Mustangs were going to compete. A few moments later, back-to-back three-pointers by Avery Jackson<\/a><\/dfn> put The Master\u2019s up 26-17.<\/p>\n Hope fought back and closed to within three with 21 seconds to play in the half. But a three-pointer at the buzzer from Caden DeVries<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0vaulted the Mustangs into the locker room up 41-35.<\/p>\n After trading field goals and free throws to start the second half, TMU\u2019s lead stayed within five to seven points. Back-to-back threes from\u00a0Brayden Miner<\/a><\/dfn> gave the Mustangs the first double-digit lead of the game at 56-45 with 14:17 to play. That lead got up to 12 and for the most part stayed double digits until there was 4:28 to play. That\u2019s when missed shots and opportunities by the Mustangs turned into points for the Royals, including an offensive rebound and a put-back to win it with five seconds on the clock.<\/p>\n The lead was erased and the Royals came away with the one-point win.<\/p>\n \u201cWe played good defense for most of the game,\u201d Starr said. \u201cIt was just a stretch down the last three minutes where we had a hard time getting a stop. That\u2019s what let them back into it.\u201d<\/p>\n Quincy Phillips<\/a><\/dfn> led The Master\u2019s with 21 points while Miner netted 20 on five three-pointers and Jackson finished with 16. Duke Gipson<\/a><\/dfn>, in just his second game with the team, pulled down eight rebounds, four of which were off the offensive glass.\u00a0Jazen Guillory<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0dished a team-high seven assists.<\/p>\n The Master\u2019s will be back inside The MacArthur Center Thursday, Jan. 8 when it hosts the Embry-Riddle Eagles at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n For more information visit GoMustangs.com<\/a>.<\/p>\nLike this:<\/h3>\n