By Mason Nesbitt, TMU Sports Information Director

As The Master’s University men’s basketball team prepared for the 2018-19 season, a campaign that would begin with a daunting quartette of games and segue into an unforgiving conference schedule, the Mustangs knew there was only one way they’d be able to recapture the momentum of a year ago, one of the most prolific seasons in program history.

Really, it came down to a mentality easy to talk about but harder to practice.

“We knew going into the season we’d have to be selfless,” said senior Delewis Johnson, whose club opened the season ranked No. 1 in the NAIA. “It’s not going to be everybody’s night every night. We have so many good players that different people are going to have to shine on a given night.”

In a 78-71 exhibition win over Concordia University Irvine on Saturday, the spotlight belonged to Johnson in the first half and Hansel Atencia after the break as the Mustangs created breathing room in the final minutes to beat an NCAA Division 2 program and former Golden State Athletic Conference rival for the second time in three days.

This one proved more challenging than Thursday’s 82-68 win over Azusa Pacific both because it was played on the road and because it came against a defensive system predicated on aggressive play.

Under the circumstances, it was only natural that a pair of veterans keyed TMU’s offensive attack.

Johnson scored 15 of his team-high 17 points before intermission, picking up where he left off in the second half against Azusa.

“He put the team on his back,” said center Tim Soares.

Atencia took up the baton after halftime, the point guard throwing in 10 of his 16 points as the Mustangs wore down Concordia’s defense and extended what had been a five-point lead.

“Hansel’s going to be Hansel at the end of the day,” Johnson said. “You know what Hansel’s going to bring no matter what. He’s a gamer.”

Tim Soares, Darryl McDowell-White and a grip of teammates also left fingerprints all over TMU’s second exhibition win against Concordia in as many seasons.

Soares scored 13 points, finishing in double figures as he did Thursday, and McDowell-White’s energy helped TMU meet the Eagles’ intensity.

“His energy and athleticism impacted everything,” said coach Kelvin Starr, who went on to credit Michael Taylor, Hodges Bailey and freshman Jordan Starr with helping keep Master’s in the game during any early bout of foul trouble.

Atencia, Soares and Brock Gardner each picked up two personals in the first half. The situation was all the more precarious due to it being the first road game of the year.

“It’s a new challenge playing on the road for the first time with a new team. You don’t know what to expect,” Soares said. “But all the guys showed up tonight.”

Said Johnson: “We stayed really poised.”

TMU will need that mettle in the coming week when it travels to Fort Worth, Texas, for the Texas Wesleyan Champions Classic. There it will face No. 2 LSU Alexandria and No. 7 LSU Shreveport on the first two days of November.