Second-quarter surge sparks TMU Women's Basketball to Opening Round win

It took some time for second-seeded TMU Women's Basketball to settle in during its NAIA National Championship Opening Round matchup against 15th-seeded UC Merced inside The MacArthur Center.
 
But settle in the Mustangs did.
 
After trailing by two following the first quarter, Master's opened the second quarter on a 14-0 run, helping the Mustangs run away with the game and advance to Saturday's Opening Round championship with a 63-41 victory.
 
In the process, TMU set a new program record with its 30th win of the season.
 
"We competed well tonight against a hungry UC Merced team," Master's Head Coach Lisa Zamroz said. "The first quarter was back and forth as expected after some time off, mixed with tournament nerves.
 
"We settled in the second and came out swinging with a 14-0 run. That paced our confidence and intensity the rest of the way."
 
The Bobcats, who went undefeated in California Pacific Conference play, came out with a lot of energy and scored the first four points of the game before taking a 13-11 lead after the first quarter.
 
Master's then held Merced scoreless for nearly the first six minutes of the second quarter, developing a double-digit advantage. The Mustangs held the Bobcats to just four points in the second quarter, extending their lead to 29-17 at the half.
 
Much like in the second, TMU didn't allow UCM to score for almost the first six minutes of the third quarter, with the Mustangs opening the second half on a 7-0 run to take a 19-point lead.
 
After the Bobcats hit a triple to open the fourth quarter to get to within 14, Olivia Prettyman (nine points) helped Master's thwart off any late comeback attempt with five made free throws in the final stanza.
 
"I thought Olivia Prettyman played a great game on both ends," Zamroz said.
 
Solid rebounding from the Mustang guards helped TMU get out in transition quickly, with Master's holding a 16-4 advantage in fastbreak points.
 
"Our guards did their job crashing the glass," Zamroz said. "We did a great job running in transition and capitalizing on those layup opportunities it created."
 
Master's also held a significant advantage in points in the paint, 42-16, as Stephanie Soares dominated on both sides of the court. She led all players with a near triple-double of 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks.
 
Ella Brubaker joined Soares in double figures with 15 points, while also adding seven rebounds. Rebekah Throns, who helped the Mustangs settle their nerves early on with a 3-pointer, showcased her versatility with seven points, six rebounds and four assists.
 
TMU (30-3) is now one win away from advancing to the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship in Sioux City, Iowa.
 
The Mustangs advance to take on 10th-seeded Southern Oregon University (29-5) in Saturday's Opening Round championship, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. inside The MacArthur Center.

Southern Oregon - 65    Georgetown (Ky.) - 59

Tenth-seeded Southern Oregon University pulled off a slight upset in the first semifinal game of the Newhall Bracket portion of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship Opening Round, defeating seventh-seeded Georgetown College (Ky.), 65-59.
 
The Raiders controlled much of the first half, leading by double digits, before the Tigers got back in the game with some strong 3-point shooting.
 
A Jazzmyn Elston (19 points, seven rebounds) triple got Georgetown to within two early in the third quarter, only for Southern Oregon to go on a 12-3 run to extend its advantage back to double figures.
 
After taking an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter, a Kenadee Honaker (16 points, seven rebounds) shot from behind the arc restored SOU's double-digit advantage.
 
GC then stormed back by scoring 17 of the next 20 points to take a lead halfway through the final period.
 
A Madison Darnell (14 points, seven rebounds) free throw gave the Tigers a three-point lead with 2:31 to play, but that was the final point that Georgetown would score, as the Raiders closed the contest on a 9-0 run to pull off the victory.
 
Honaker, a Santa Clarita native and graduate of Valencia High School, nailed a corner 3-pointer to tie the game before her layup gave her team the lead with 1:37 remaining, one it wouldn't relinquish.

LIVE STREAM | TICKETS | TOURNAMENT WEBPAGE