A 24-2 run to open the game helped TMU Men's Basketball hold off a La Sierra University comeback bid in an 88-77 victory on Tuesday night inside The MacArthur Center.
"It's always good to go into the break with a win," Master's Head Coach
Kelvin Starr said in reference to the team's upcoming time-off for Christmas. "The guys have earned their break, but we still have a ton to work on when we get back."
The Mustangs could not have started the game any better, holding the Golden Eagles to just two points in the opening nine minutes, as TMU developed a game-high 22-point lead.
The visitors would not go away easily, however, battling back to within seven at the break and even taking a one-point advantage early in the second half after La Sierra caught fire from 3-point range.
"I thought La Sierra really showed a competitive fight tonight," Starr said.
Helping Master's thwart the Golden Eagles' comeback was
Gavin DeJong, whose tip-in with 14:22 remaining gave the Mustangs a lead they would not relinquish.
"
Gavin DeJong was awesome tonight," Starr said. "He played super hard and had some big-time plays for us in the second half."
After DeJong's tip-in, TMU went on a 23-10 streak to go ahead by 14, its largest lead in the second half.
La Sierra fought back to within six with just over a minute remaining, but a 3-pointer from
Davian Brown allowed the Mustangs to hold off their opponents and extend their advantage to double digits before the final buzzer sounded.
The primary statistical advantage Master's held was a 48-10 margin in bench points, with DeJong (15 points, 12 rebounds),
DJ Wilson (13 points, 3-for-6 from behind the arc) and
Jaden Graham (11 points, five rebounds) all providing a spark.
Kaleb Lowery (17 points, 12 rebounds) and
Davian Brown (14 points) led the starting unit in points as the team's top-two scorers on the season.
Master's (9-3 overall), now winners of three-straight for the second time this season, return to action on Dec. 30 when the Mustangs take on Benedictine University Mesa at 7 p.m. as part of the New Year's Classic.
