Trying to play defense is one thing. Playing it is quite another.
Thursday evening in Rocklin, The Master's University women's basketball team showcased both in a decisive fourth quarter as the Mustangs turned back host William Jessup 66-61.
"That was hard-fought," said TMU coach
Dan Waldeck. "I believe we won that game with a defensive mindset."
That was especially evident in the final stanza when the Mustangs limited the Warriors to 7-of-21 shooting, paving the way to victory.
The offense had something to say, too, about the win. Trailing 50-48 with just over six minutes left to play, the Mustangs (14-6 overall, 4-4 in Golden State Athletic Conference) used consecutive 3-pointers from
Jamilee Iddings and
Sabrina Thompson to vault ahead for good.
When the Warriors pulled within 54-53, Thompson answered with a layup and
Anika Neuman drilled a jumper to give the Mustangs a five-point advantage.
The Warriors never got closer than three points the rest of the way, and the Mustangs iced the game at the free throw line, tallying their final six points from there in the final 1:10.
Much earlier, it didn't appear that the Mustangs would need those charity tosses. They scored the game's first eight points, sandwiching 3-pointers from
Brooke Bailey and Neuman around a Neuman layup.
When Thompson converted a free throw with 3:23 left in the opening stanza, the Mustangs equaled their largest lead of the game, 17-5.
The Warriors closed the quarter with a rush, though, scoring the final nine points to pull within three at the end of one.
Jessup kept that momentum going into the second period, using a 7-0 spurt to move ahead 24-19 at the 6:09 mark.
The Warriors led 32-29 at halftime.
They scored the first six points of the third quarter to forge their largest lead of the game, 38-29, before the Mustangs rallied in blitzing fashion.
Sparked by six straight points from sophomore
Hannah Forrar, the Mustangs ripped off 15 straight points to turn a nine-point deficit into a 43-38 lead.
Forrar scored nine of her game-high 17 points in a 2:45 window.
TMU led 46-45 after three quarters, and the stage was set for a thrilling final stanza.
In addition to her 14th double-digit scoring effort of the season, Forrar also yanked down a career-high 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the campaign.
She was joined in double figures by three teammates. Thompson went for 15 points and dished out a game-high-tying five assists. Neuman added 13 points, and
Brooke Bailey chipped in with 11.
"I'm extremely encouraged with our resilience and toughness," Waldeck said. "It took everyone to get the job done."
The Mustangs will have another big job to do on Saturday when they complete their brief NorCal trip at No. 16 Menlo.
The Oaks beat the Mustangs 84-69 back on January 4.
