The Master’s University Lady Mustangs basketball team got its fifth GSAC win in as many tries on Saturday, Jan. 24 with a 67-53 win over Benedictine Mesa in The MacArthur Center.

Alli VanKooten had a strong game with 22 points and 17 rebounds in 37 minutes as TMU broke away in the second half to secure the victory.

The Master’s battled with BenU early, as the first quarter score was separated by just one point. VanKooten had seven rebounds and six points in that opening frame as TMU held the Redhawks to just 30 percent shooting.

TMU began to build a small lead in the following ten minutes as VanKooten scored another six in the second frame. The Lady Mustangs bumped their field goal percentage up to 47 percent in the second quarter and opened up an eight-point lead at the break.

A big story in the game for TMU was the offensive glass, as The Master’s totaled 22 offensive rebounds and 21 second chance points. Kylin DeVries had ten rebounds, seven of them being offensive.

“Kylin always comes ready to play and helped us out a ton today with those rebounds,” TMU Head Coach Fonda Wilson said. “She is such a spark for us and she always works hard.”

The Redhawks tried to keep the game close in the third quarter, but shot just 31 percent from the floor, and the Lady Mustangs forced five turnovers and had another five offensive rebounds in the quarter. TMU made the most of its opportunities in the final frame, ending the game on an 11-2 run and taking the win.

Bella Forker had 16 points and seven rebounds while Chloe Auble chipped in 10 points.

The win moved TMU into second place in the GSAC, just a half game behind Hope International University.

The Lady Mustangs will stay home to take on La Sierra in the next game Thursday, Jan. 29 in The MacArthur Center.

For more information visit GoMustangs.com.