Tiago Soares had a team and career high 34 points and TMU defeated La Sierra University 110-81 in The MacArthur Center on Thursday.
Soares was 15 of 21 on the night and made three shots from beyond the arc as TMU kept their hold on the GSAC's first-place position.
The Master's had a strong first half, both offensively and defensively. TMU shot a strong 58% from the field and held LSU to just 31 points in the first 20 minutes. Soares, despite being guarded by a 7'3 La Sierra defender, was a force early, dropping 26 points before halftime.
"Tiago was great tonight," TMU Head Coach Kelvin Starr said. "He came out and set the tone straight from the jump. Overall, I'm happy with the way we played."
Rylan Starr had eight points in the first half as TMU carried a 22-point lead into the break. They also had five offensive rebounds in the opening frame.
Somehow, The Master's shot even better in the second half, as they improved their shooting to 62% overall and made 11 shots from downtown. A 3-pointer by
Rylan Starr gave The Master's their largest lead at 33 points. TMU out rebounded La Sierra as well, winning that battle by a 20-12 margin. Soares scored another eight in the final 20 minutes and also added four rebounds and a block.
In the second half,
Brayden Miner had 14 points and
Avery Jackson scored 11 as TMU rolled to another GSAC win. TMU dominated in almost every statistical category, including points off turnovers, bench points, and points in the paint. Jackson finished with 17 points on an efficient six of eight shooting while
Caden DeVries had nine points, four rebounds and four assists.
The Master's remains at the top of the GSAC standings at 9-1, with No. 9-ranked Hope International right on their tail.
The Master's will play next on Saturday on the road against Life Pacific.
