The Master's women's basketball team could not hold on to a halftime lead, losing a conference game on the road to the Menlo Oaks 90-77 Thursday in Atherton, Calif.
The Lady Mustangs shot better than the Oaks, hitting 30-of-54 (56%) compared to Menlo's 37-of-71 (52%). The difference came from behind the arc as the Oaks were 11-of-24 while TMU mustered just 5-of-17. The Master's also turned the ball over 22 times, which led to a 31-14 difference in points off turnovers.
Menlo jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but TMU (10-4, 3-3) scored the next 11 unanswered and went on a 24-11 run to end the first quarter with a 24-16 lead. The second quarter went back and forth before
Ella Brubaker hit a 3-pointer with six seconds to play in the half to give the Lady Mustangs a 42-38 lead into the break.
The Oaks came out firing in the second half, blowing the game open in the third quarter on a 30-10 run to grab a 16-point lead. The Oaks hit seven 3s in a span of 9:29 in the second half to take the commanding cushion. The Master's fought back in the fourth, scoring 25 in the final ten minutes, but could not overcome the Oaks' cushion.
"If we hit a few more shots in the third it's a different game," said Head Coach Lisa Zamroz. "Unfortunately we gave them a lot of extra possessions turning the ball over in the third.
"I'm really proud of the way we responded to another tough third quarter," Zamroz continued. "(Madeline) Cooke was an active defensive presence for us inside. Kelly (Lotz) gave us great minutes as well."
Brubaker led TMU with 33 points, making it the fourth time this season she has scored 33 or more points in a game this season. The sophomore All-American, who leads the GSAC in scoring, has scored in double figures every game, including ten of the 14 games tallying more than 20 points.
Marin Lenz added 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and
Madeline Cooke led the Lady Mustangs with seven rebounds.
The Master's will continue their Northern California road trip on Saturday as they face the William Jessup Warriors in Rocklin. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m.
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