Rebekah Throns came back for moments like this.
In one of her biggest games in a Mustang uniform, the fifth-year senior tied a career-high with five 3-pointers made and scored a game-high 20 points, leading second-seeded TMU Women's Basketball to a 67-61 victory over third-seeded Indiana Wesleyan University in the NAIA National Championship Round of 16.
"I just saw a fifth-year senior lead in a way that was critical to our team's success," Master's Head Coach
Lisa Zamroz said. "She refused to lose and wasn't going to let us come out soft. She was critical on both ends, keeping us in it in the first half and then throughout the game in the second half to add to our lead and keep a buffer."
Throns' first triple of the night was TMU's first made basket of the game after the Mustangs were held scoreless for nearly the first five minutes.
With the shot clock about to expire, the Australia native turned around and threw up a desperation heave that found nothing but net.
It was a sign of things to come.
That 3-pointer sparked a 12-0 Mustang run that helped Master's take a 12-5 advantage after the first quarter.
"We talked about coming out and hitting first," Zamroz said. "A lot of times in the tournament, nerves get the best of people, so we wanted to be the ones to get the first lick and be able to use a buffer strategically, so that we could ride the wave of a game."
Indiana Wesleyan, known for its 3-point shooting, got going in the second quarter with a trio of 3-pointers, helping the Wildcats take a slim 22-21 halftime advantage.
Then came
Stephanie Soares.
After being limited to just two first-half points, Soares asserted herself after the interval with 10 points in the third quarter alone.
"She was getting double-teamed and triple-teamed (in the first half) and it was physically exhausting, but she found a way," Zamroz. "She stayed engaged and made multiple efforts after the first effort to compete. She responded in a great way."
The marksmanship of Throns opened up more space for Soares to operate.
"I wanted to take as much pressure off her as I could," Throns said. "I knew they were going to come out doubling and triple-teaming her because she's so good. In the second half, they had to guard other people, so she was open a lot more and was able to do her thing."
Ella Brubaker's steal and layup at the end of the third quarter gave TMU a five-point lead going into the final period.
The Mustangs' advantage increased to double digits early in the fourth, with a
Giani Wimbish-Gay and-one and Throns' fifth 3-pointer of the night fueling an 8-0 run to start the period.
The Wildcats fought back to within four with 2:15 to play after sinking a pair of triples.
Soares (16 points, 16 rebounds) then corralled her own miss and finished the putback before a Wimbish-Gay midrange jumper helped to stave off Indiana Wesleyan.
IWU got as close as three with 29 seconds to play, but Soares and Throns sank their free throws down the stretch to advance Master's to the NAIA quarterfinals for the third-time in program history.
Â
"It's special," Zamroz said of advancing to the tournament's final eight. "The whole year I've seen our potential and they believe the potential now. We're just excited for the opportunity and want to keep competing our best. If we do that, we like the results of that."
TMU will take on Dordt University (Iowa), who knocked off the Cramer Quadrant's No. 1 seed Campbellsville (Ky.) in dominating fashion, 78-43.
The quarterfinal matchup will tip-off at 6 p.m. PDT/8 p.m. CDT.
While technically a neutral-site game, it will feel like a road contest with the Defenders' large traveling contingent, being just 47 miles away from the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
"It'll be a fun atmosphere," Zamroz said. "For us, we try to block out the noise of the fans or whatever else happens in a game and just focus on who we are and being tough."
For the Mustangs, that means at least one more game for TMU's fifth-year leader in Throns.
"This is a special group and I'm excited to see how far we can go," Throns said. "I wasn't going to accept a loss today."
