Not too many things went right for The Master’s University men’s basketball team in an 80-79 loss to Menlo College at The MacArthur Center on Thursday night.
Menlo took an early 14-9 advantage with their 3-point shooting five minutes into the game and finished hitting 11-of-28 3-point shots on the night.
“That’s what they do,” said TMU head coach Kelvin Starr. “We didn’t do a good job of running them off the line early.”
The first half was plagued with questionable calls that led to foul trouble for the Mustangs as four of their five starters finished the first half of play with two fouls.
Sam Boone gave TMU a good spark off the bench scoring all of his 10 points in the first half.
Tim Soares kept the Mustangs in the game in the first half with his 15 points (two threes) and five rebounds. He finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
Down 38-35 Boone hit a fadeaway jumper and after an electric alley-oop to Michael Taylor that got the Mustangs’ crowd to erupt and tie the game at 41-41 with under a minute to go in the half.
Down 43-41, the Mustangs looked determined to not lose their third straight home game and took the lead for a period. But Menlo stormed back hitting three threes on back-to-back possessions to take a 63-56 lead halfway through the second half.
With under seven minutes to go, Soares was called for his fourth foul and out of frustration reacted, got a technical foul and fouled out of the game.
The Mustangs regrouped and Gardner led a comeback to get TMU within three points twice with under five minutes remaining.
“Brock did a good job of getting us back in the game,” Starr said of Gardner. “Defensively we were pretty good down the stretch.”
Gardner finished with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and four blocks.
Climbing all the way back, down 80-79, TMU got the ball on the game’s final possession with two seconds left. Jordan Starr inbounded the ball to Gardner, who got fouled, as the buzzer sounded.
Down one, with no time on the clock, TMU’s Brock Gardner stepped to the line and clanked both the free throws for the Mustangs’ third straight home loss.
TMU women’s hoops 72, Menlo 55
The Mustangs women’s hoops team won their fourth straight contest and improve to 23-1 overall and 11-1 in GSAC play with the double-digit win on Thursday.
Two Mustangs recorded double-doubles as Stephanie Soares led the team with a double-double and had 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks. Anika Neuman had 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Hannah Ostrom had 18 points and five rebounds and Madi Hull added nine points in the win.
The Mustangs host William Jessup at the MacArthur Center at noon on Saturday.
