Mustangs defend their way to win over the University of Antelope Valley

The Master's University women's basketball team posted its lowest point total of the regular season so far Tuesday evening.
 
There was no cause for concern.
 
Showing that they can win even when their offense isn't clicking at an optimal level, the Mustangs turned to a stingy defense to defeat the University of Antelope Valley 54-39 in Lancaster.
 
That was the fewest points the club has allowed eight games into the 2019-20 campaign as the No. 4 Mustangs remained undefeated.
 
The Mustangs entered the game as the 11th-ranked defensive squad in the country, allowing 55.1 points per game.
 
"Incredibly proud of our response in the second half tonight," said TMU head coach Dan Waldeck.  "We overcame adversity and playing a good team on the road by falling back on habits we work on every day."

Mustang sophomore Stephanie Soares record the first triple-double of her career with 21 points, 16 rebounds and 12 blocked shots. The 12 blocks represented a new TMU game record, surpassing Soares' previous record of 10. Hannah Ostrom added 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists. 

Soares scored eight points in the fourth quarter, when Master's held the Pioneers to 1-of-14 shooting from the field. The Mustangs' strong finish on defense, holding Antelope Valley to five points in the final period, helped them pull away in a game that was close for three quarters. 
 
After spotting the Pioneers (No. 14 in NAIA Division 2) the game's first four points, the Mustangs used a 14-4 run to catch and pass the hosts.
 
Senior Brooke Bailey sparked the burst with a three-pointer, senior Sabrina Thompson and Soares combined for seven points during the run, and junior Madi Hull capped it with a basket in the paint.
 
The Mustangs led 14-11 after the first quarter, holding the Pioneers to 5-of-16 shooting from the floor over the opening 10 minutes.
 
The Pioneers hit only one of their first eight shots in the second quarter but a 7-0 run, capped by a Chinna Fair three-pointer with 4:54 left in the period vaulted the hosts into a 20-19 lead.
 
Senior Hannah Ostrom canned two free throws to put the Mustangs back in front and her three-pointer with 1:55 remaining gave the Mustangs a 24-22 lead.
  
The clubs were tied at 24 at halftime.

"Hannah (Ostrom) and Stephanie (Soares) did a great job of coming alive for us offensively when things weren't fluid for us," said Waldeck.
 
It was a Rebekah Throns' basket 53 seconds into the third quarter that put the Mustangs ahead for good.  They led by as many as eight, 40-32, on a Soares basket with 1:20 to go and settled for a six-point advantage (40-34) after three.
 
The Mustangs enjoyed their best shooting quarter of the evening, connecting on 7-of-16 (43.8%) from the field.
 
Soares had eight of her game-high 21 points in the quarter.
 
Saving their best defensive effort of the evening for last, the Mustangs held the Pioneers to 1-of-14 shooting from the field and five points over the final 10 minutes.
 
That helped to create a double-digit lead that reached as high as 15 points three times, including the final score.
 
For the game, the Mustangs outrebounded the Pioneers 49-40.
 
On a night when the Mustangs shot a season-low 32.8% from the field they also limited the Pioneers to 24.6% shooting, TMU's best defensive field goal percentage effort of the season.
 
"I'm extremely proud of our ability to lean on our defense and rebounding during stretch runs and key moments," Waldeck said. 
 
Now, the Mustangs turn their attention to the first two games of Golden State Athletic Conference play later this week, traveling to Arizona to take on Arizona Christian in Glendale on Thursday (4:30 p.m. PST start) and OUAZ in Surprise on Saturday (11:00 a.m. PST start).
 
"To play five ranked opponents in our first eight games was an enormous challenge," said Waldeck.  "Now we need to take those lessons on the road as we head to Arizona to open conference versus two talented GSAC teams."