OUAZ buzzer-beater snaps TMU's 47-game home win streak

The Master's University men's basketball team knows what it's like to win a game late. Darryl McDowell-White's go-ahead layup with 1.6 seconds remaining lifted TMU to a win at Westmont earlier this month. 
 
But, the Mustangs are also familiar with what it's like to lose one at the buzzer, as they did at William Jessup on Jan. 9, and did again Thursday inside the MacArthur Center.  
 
OUAZ's Karriem Simmons sank a two-point shot as time ran out to lift the visiting Spirit to a 78-76 upset of the seventh-ranked Mustangs, snapping TMU's 47-game home winning streak.

The Mustangs' last home loss before Thursday came on Jan. 7, 2017 against Hope International. 
 
Simmons scored six of the Spirit's final eight points.  His buzzer-beater came after he grabbed an offensive rebound.
 
Mustang Jordan Starr equaled a career-high with a team-leading 19 points, all of those coming in the second half to help rally the club from a double-digit deficit. Senior forward Brock Gardner had 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. McDowell-White finished with 12 points. 
 
The Starr-Gardner-McDowell-White trio combined for 38 of the club's 49 second-half points.
 
The Mustangs (17-4, 7-3 GSAC) trailed by as many as 13 points (39-26) in the first half and went into halftime down 39-27.
 
Senior center Tim Soares scored 10 of his 16 points in the opening half.
 
"It was a tough loss," said Soares.  "We need to get better."
 
Starr scored nine straight points in a 58-second window in the second half and his three-pointer with 8:44 left to play pulled the Mustangs within 58-57.
 
Just under two minutes later (6:47), his second trey of the second half put the Mustangs ahead for the first time, 64-63.
 
After a 7-2 run put Ottawa up 74-72, Starr made it a one-point game with a free throw before a McDowell-White layup gave the Mustangs their final lead of the evening, 75-74.
 
DJ Wilson's free throw with 24 seconds left tied the score at 76-all, but the Mustangs never got the ball back and Simmons' clutch shot ended the game.
 
The Mustangs now find themselves in a three-way tie for second place with Menlo and William Jessup.  All three clubs trail first-place Westmont by two games.
 
The Mustangs return to action on Saturday when they host No. 23 Arizona Christian at 2:00 p.m.