TMU basketball drops close game to ACU

The Master's University fell to the Arizona Christian Firestorm on Saturday in The MacArthur Center 80-71, with Tiago Soares scoring 15 points on Senior Day.

TMU struggled to defend a physical Firestorm team which shot 54.5% from the field and over 62% in the second half to pull away and seal the win.

"If you're gonna beat ACU, you've gotta be at your best, which we were not today," TMU Head Coach Kelvin Starr. "We've got to be better offensively."

The first half was a close affair, with the halftime score only being separated by three points. TMU had a tough time getting going offensively, but forcing 10 ACU turnovers allowed them to stay in the game, despite only shooting 38% overall and making two of their 11 shots from distance.

Caden DeVries was the team's leading scorer in the first frame with seven points and five rebounds. Brayden Miner also chipped in six points. 

The Master's got their offense back on track in the final 20 minutes, but so did ACU, who continued to grab offensive rebounds and get to the free throw line. A 3-pointer by Tiago Soares tied the game at 35-35 but that would be the closest TMU would get as ACU kept their their advantage for the rest of the game. 

With leading scorer Avery Jackson in foul trouble, The Master's had a hard time cutting down the gap. A Quincy Phillips make from distance brought the lead down to just five points but ACU dominated the final three minutes to take home a key GSAC win.

Phillips totaled 14 points while Avery Jackson had 11 points and six rebounds.

The loss brings TMU into a three-way tie for first place in the conference with Hope International and ACU, both teams ranked in the NAIA Top-25. 

TMU also celebrated four seniors on Senior Day: Avery Jackson, Tiago Soares, Jazen Guillory and Godwin Ilumoka.

TMU will be back on the road to take on Benedictine Mesa on Thursday in Mesa, Ariz.