A stout fourth-quarter defense stifled a potential Life Pacific comeback as The Master’s University women’s basketball team defeated the Warriors 79-57 Saturday, Feb. 15 in San Dimas.

LPU started the final quarter with two straight baskets to close the gap to six points. But the Lady Mustangs (17-7, 10-3) closed out the game on a 22-6 run to get the 22-point victory.

“The girls that were on the court were locked in,” said TMU Head Coach Fonda Wilson about that fourth quarter. “They pressured the ball well. They closed out better and denied everything to force bad shots.”

TMU shot nearly 45 percent from the field, including nine of 20 (45 percent) from behind the three-point line. For the game the defense held Life Pacific to 33 percent from the field and six of 22 from long range.

The Master’s also won the rebound battle (49-34), including off the offensive glass (17-12), and picked up four blocks.

But the biggest difference in the game, however, came from points in the paint as the Lady Mustangs outscored the Warriors 40-24 down inside.

TMU jumped out to a quick start and never looked back, grabbing a 12-3 lead in the first 5:12 of the game. The Lady Mustangs outscored LPU 24-16 in he first quarter, and while the Warriors fared better in the second 10-minute period, TMU led 39-31 at the break.

That lead grew through the third quarter, growing to 57-48 before the start of that fourth quarter that truly broke it open for The Master’s.

Marin Lenz led TMU with 20 points on eight of 14 shooting, including four three-pointers. Lexi Hernandez had 15 and Kelly Mathiesen added nine. Alli VanKooten had a team-high 11 rebounds in the game.

The Lady Mustangs are just one game out of first place as the Arizona Christian Firestorm lost to OUAZ Saturday. Should TMU win its final game and ACU lose, the two teams will be tied at the top of the conference standings.

The final game of the season will happen Thursday night, Feb. 20 in The MacArthur Center, where The Master’s will host Hope International. It will be Senior Night at the game, an evening when those playing their final regular season game on Bross Court will be honored. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

For more information visit GoMustangs.com.