In one of the "craziest" games he'd ever experienced in 12 years as Master's head coach,
Dan Waldeck elected to deliver a simple message.
The No. 3-ranked Mustangs had just fallen behind by eight points midway through Saturday's third quarter, and they were enduring their worst offensive showing in nearly two years. A timeout offered a chance to refocus.
"Just keep being us," Waldeck told his team. "Shots will fall."
The Mustangs responded with an effort befitting a team with national title aspirations. They found their shooting touch, continued to play strong defense and ultimately ran away with a 72-54 win over No. 22 Menlo College in Atherton, California.Â
In an odd turn, Master's, which scored only 16 points in the first half, overcame its worst start to a game this season on the same day it earned the best start in program history. This is the first time the Mustangs have ever opened a campaign with 18 consecutive wins.Â
The Mustangs also remained on track for a first-place showdown next weekend at No. 4 Westmont College, with both teams currently 6-0 in Golden State Athletic Conference play.
This one didn't come easily.
The Mustangs' 16 first-half points were their fewest in a half since February 17, 2018. The only saving grace was that they held the Oaks to 19 points on nearly as poor shooting.
In a season where Master's has outscored its opponents by nearly 26 points per game, this served as an opportunity to see what the Mustangs were made of when things didn't run smoothly.
"We know we're talented," said Master's point guard
Sabrina Thompson, who scored 11 points and contributed nine of TMU's season-high 32 made free throws. "But this was a great test of our toughness and resilience and every single player on the team today stepped up and showed that in the second half."
Said guard
Hannah Ostrom, "We refused to believe we were ever going to lose that game."
Ostrom had 15 points and
Stephanie Soares led Master's with 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks. But like most of their teammates, the majority of it came after halftime.
Master's made just 5-of-27 shots over the game's first 20 minutes. It was 2-of-14 on three-point tries.
"Menlo carries a ton of energy at home and they feed off each other," said
Anika Neuman, who scored 14 points on 3-of-5 shooting from distance. "They were super physical with us, and we had to find a way to overcome it. The second half we didn't let the physicality impact us, and that's when we got our shots."
Not immediately, though.
Salome Cordinier made a 3-pointer to give the Oaks an eight-point lead with 5:11 remaining in the third. But from there, it was all Mustangs.
Master's went on a quick 9-0 run, with six points coming from Neuman, to take the lead. And by the end of the third, the Mustangs led by five, having outscored their hosts 19-6 to close the period.
"We just kept doing our thing, made a few adjustments and stuck together," Neuman said.
The Mustangs outscored Menlo by 21 after halftime, in part because of recommitting themselves to taking care of the ball. Master's turned it over 12 times in the first half, and just four after the break. It didn't hurt that the Mustangs made 28 of the 30 free throws they attempted after the break.Â
Master's made 59% of its shots during that span. It shot 19% from the floor in the first half.Â
"We missed a lot of open shots in the first that could have gotten us going," Waldeck said. "But I'm proud of how the team buckled down in the second."
Ostrom said that at halftime the Mustangs remained confident they would make a run. It was just a matter of time.
"We believed that if we stayed together and continued to play strong defense our offense would come," Ostrom said.
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