SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. — Two conversations separated by three years framed The Master's University's 77-64 win over Vanguard on Friday in the semifinals of the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament at Westmont.
When Mustang head coach Dan Waldeck recruited junior Anika Neuman out of high school, he told her he believed she could become one of the program's all-time great players.
Friday, Neuman finished with seven points and surpassed 1,000 points for her career, becoming the 17th player in program history to reach the milestone.
"She's proven me right not because I was right but because she's such a consummate worker and teammate," Waldeck said Friday after Master's earned its program-record 29th win of the season and advanced to Saturday's championship game against Westmont at 5 p.m.
The other dialogue that defined No. 4 TMU's second win over No. 7 Vanguard in a six-day span was an ongoing and more recent conversation.
All year, Waldeck has asked junior Madi Hull to look for her shot. Hull, a crucial member of TMU's bench, often deferred to her teammates — until Friday when she knocked down all four of the three-pointers she attempted and finished with a team- and season-high 17 points.
"I just felt like I was more open than normal," Hull said. "I know they had been collapsing on Stephanie (Soares) a lot and focusing on our shooters."
Waldeck wasn't surprised when Hull buried an open three to stop a Vanguard run in the second half. The Lions (23-6) had cut what was an 18-point deficit to 10, but a layup from Neuman and Hull's final three-pointer pushed it back to 15.
"She is so talented," Waldeck said. "She has really come into her own in her confidence in our system in the last month. She's had moments of it here and there, but today I think there was no hesitation."
Hull led a bench that contributed 36 points to a Mustang attack that shot 48% overall. Tristen Coltom knocked down a trio of three-pointers and finished with nine points. Stephanie Soares led TMU's starters with 15 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks.
"When our bench is scoring, we're tough to beat," Waldeck said.
TMU's defense has also made that a difficult task. Three Master's teams had won 28 games before this season, but a group that leads the NAIA in defense field goal percentage has already racked up 29 wins with the GSAC championship game and NAIA Division 1 tournament remaining.
Friday, Master's limited the Lions to 5-of-25 on threes, and Vanguard's Sierra Vaglica, one of the NAIA's premier shooters, made only 1-of-5 attempts. It was the result of a TMU perimeter defense that buzzed around the floor, running the Lions off the line.
Vanguard shot 34% for the game, marking the 30th time in 31 games Master's has held its opponent under 40% from the floor.
"We made the point guards more uncomfortable, not just letting them bring the ball up the floor but actually making them have to work to get into their offense," Hull said.
The Mustangs didn't make Vanguard uncomfortable on Jan. 23 when Master's suffered its first loss of the season.
In the teams' two meetings since, Master's hasn't allowed Vanguard's physicality to throw it off course.
"I think the first time we played them, we weren't expecting them to fight back," Hull said. "So now that we knew what to expect from them, we decided we were going to be the ones who came out punching first."
The Mustangs led by 11 at halftime and by as many as 21 in the second half, improving their record against teams ranked in NAIA Division 1 or Division 2 to 10-2 for the season.
Neuman surpassed 1,000 points with a layup in the fourth quarter. She said the accomplishment is a reflection on her teammates, both past and present.
"They have believed in me, pushed me, encouraged me, and have set me up for success," she said. "I'm also thankful for coaches who have helped me be the best I can. Ultimately I'm thankful to God for this, all glory to Him."
