Mustangs hold off spirited comeback from OUAZ

TMU Men's Basketball returned to winning ways with a 75-68 home victory over OUAZ on Saturday afternoon in Golden State Athletic Conference action.
 
"This was a really good team win for us after a four-game skid," Master's Head Coach Kelvin Starr said. "The last couple of games we have gotten back to playing good team defense. Today the difference was we actually scored the ball."
 
TMU's 75 points were its most in five games since the Mustangs' losing streak began with a loss to eighth-ranked William Jessup University two weeks ago.
 
Master's controlled the first half, with a Kaleb Lowery fastbreak dunk giving TMU a double-digit lead with 2:24 on the clock. A Lowery layup off a missed 3-pointer beat the halftime buzzer to extend the Mustangs' advantage to 11, 38-27, going into the break.
 
Five minutes into the second half, a Jordan Starr triple gave Master's its largest lead of the game (17) before the visitors mounted a spirited comeback.
 
Over the next nine minutes, OUAZ went on a 29-12 run, helped by five 3-pointers, to tie the game at 70 apiece with 6:06 remaining.
 
"Give OUAZ credit," Kelvin Starr said. "There was no quit in them. It was an amazing comeback effort on their part on the road with a short-handed roster."
 
After the Mustangs quickly regained their lead, the Spirit had a chance to tie with under a minute remaining down by two. But TMU forced an OUAZ turnover before Master's calmly sank all four of its free throw attempts in the final 22 seconds, including four from Ryan Beddeo, to seal the victory.
 
"I'm thrilled we were able to hold them off and execute under pressure down the stretch," Kelvin Starr said.
 
Jordan Starr (six assists, five rebounds), who made three of TMU's five 3-pointers, and Gavin DeJong (nine boards) led Master's with 16 points each.
 
Kaleb Lowery (15 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists) posted his sixth double-double of the season, while Davian Brown (11 points, five rebounds) was the fourth Mustang to score in double figures.
 
"Jordan shot the ball really well tonight," Kelvin Starr said. "Kaleb was awesome on both ends all night almost garnering a triple-double. Gavin DeJong came up big inside down the stretch with a sweet jump hook."
 
Master's (13-7 overall, 4-6 GSAC) now get a week to prepare for its next opponent, Westmont College. The Mustangs will host the Warriors inside The MacArthur Center next Saturday at 7:30 p.m.