Master's freshman Caitlin Monten caught the ball with her back to the basket. She pivoted to face the rim, dribbled once to her right and knocked down a shot from the top of the paint.
Moments later, Brooke Bailey faked a three, drove baseline and shoveled a pass to Monten, who banked in a shot from closer range.
Every occasion is a little different, but more often than not this season, there's a moment when The Master's University women's basketball team turns a tight game into a commanding victory. And Monten's plays early in the second quarter were the beginning of that decisive spurt Tuesday in Fullerton.
The Mustangs beat Hope International 88-63 to improve to 25-1 overall and 13-1 in Golden State Athletic Conference play, good for a share of first place with Westmont College.
Stephanie Soares scored 24 points with 13 rebounds and three blocks, Anika Neuman had 19 points and seven rebounds, and Bailey made four of the five three-pointers she attempted on the way to 16 points.
After Monten jump-started the second quarter, a Bailey three-pointer put the Mustangs ahead by 14, extending what had been a six-point lead at the end of the first quarter. Master's outscored Hope 21-9 in the second period.
"Usually it's our defense, but tonight it was a combination of shot-making and getting stops in the first half," Waldeck said of how the Mustangs have been able to create separation from opponents this season. "We turned the ball over too many times, but we overcame that with making shots."
Master's started slow, turning the ball over seven times in the first quarter. Hope shot 54% in the first quarter and made three of the five three-pointers it tried. Master's led 23-17 after 10 minutes.
The game's tenor changed in the second quarter.
The Mustangs limited the Royals to only three field goals and 19% shooting on the way to building a 44-26 lead at the break. The advantage grew to 23 points in the third quarter.
"We slowed down offensively and got easy shots," Soares said of the difference after the first quarter. "We weren't allowing their pressure to speed us up like it did in the first half."
With the win, Master's improved to 9-0 on the road this season. The Mustangs haven't lost a regular season road game in nearly a year.
TMU's only loss this season was a one-point defeat at home against then-No. 5 Vanguard University. In the six games since, the Mustangs have shown that the setback did not steer their season off course.
Neuman, who made 6-of-8 shots Tuesday, said the loss, which interrupted the best start in program history, motivated the team to keep pushing forward.
"We didn't overthink or overanalyze it," Neuman said. "In those games, you have a choice to either dwell on your mistakes or learn from them and be better the next time. We're choosing the latter."
Monten finished with seven points, one of six Mustangs to contribute at least seven. Madi Hull added nine points off the bench and Hannah Ostrom had eight.
Master's made 10 of 18 three-pointers (56%).
