Zoe Scott

In a game that was over early, the only thing left to see Thursday evening was how many three-pointers Zoe Scott and The Master’s College would make in a 95-50 rout of La Sierra on Bross Court.

Both Scott and the Mustangs gave the fans plenty to cheer about as the nation’s ninth-ranked squad closed out a perfect (6-0) homestand while running its record to 12-3 with its season-best seventh straight victory of the campaign.

Scott (Spokane, WA), who entered the game one three-pointer behind former All-American and now-assistant coach Kinsley Goeman’s (Mittel) career record of 199, tied the mark with 5:55 left in the first half and then broke it a little over a minute later (4:47), giving the Mustangs a dominating 42-11 lead.  She finished the game 3-7 from behind the arc and is now the program’s all-time three-point shooter with 201 and counting.

On an evening when the Mustangs set single-game records with 36 attempts from long range and 16 treys, they started early and Nicole Nitake (Torrance, CA) was the instigator.  The sophomore sharpshooter drained consecutive threes in the first minute and when she added another at the 16-minute mark of the half, the Mustangs had a 15-4 lead at the outset of a 15-1 run that ballooned the advantage to 27-5 just over six minutes later.

Nitake, who went 4-4 from behind the arc in the opening half, buried her final three-pointer of the stanza for a 36-8 lead at the 6:57 mark before Scott went to work on the record book.  When she was done, Megan Lindsley (Vancouver, WA) gave a preview of things to come in the second half, draining a trey with 1:13 left, closing out a stunning 24-5 run for a 51-13 lead.

Lindsley wasn’t done, either, adding a three-point play and a half-closing layup as the Mustangs went to the break up 56-15.  Over the opening 20 minutes, the Mustangs hit nearly 60% (22-37) of their shots from the field, including a sizzling 9-17 from behind the arc.

Fittingly, Nitake rained in a triple, her fifth and final one of the game, nearly a minute into the second half and the Mustangs were off and running again, and when Scott hit her last trifecta of the game with 16:56 remaining, the Mustangs had a 64-23 lead.

Although the game was well in hand, there was still Lindsley to appreciate.  The freshman poured in four treys in the game’s final 10-plus minutes, capping an 8-0 run with consecutive three-pointers for a 79-33 lead and then hitting her final one from long range to give the the Mustangs its only 50-point cushion (95-45) of the evening with 2:53 left on the clock.

The Mustangs went 13-34 (38%) from the floor in the final stanza and 7-19 from long range, finishing at 49% (35-71) and 16-36 (44%) for the game.  Just as impressive was their willingness to share the ball, scoring 35 baskets on 27 assists.

Lindsley, who hit 5-7 from behind the arc, led all scorers with a career-high 20 points.  Nitake, who equaled her teammate’s five three-pointers, had 15 points while Kelly Burns and Bianca Cubello, who pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, threw in 10 points apiece.

Now, the Mustangs turn their attention to the most important part of the season, conference play.  They open GSAC action next Tuesday evening in Fullerton against No. 24 Hope International in an early-season showdown of nationally-ranked squads.