By Don Gilmore, TMU Assistant Sports Information Director

Not everyone gave The Master’s University women’s basketball team a chance against No. 2 Vanguard on Thursday evening.

That was just fine with Hannah Forrar and the Mustangs.

With Forrar pouring in a career-high 34 points and leading the way in a couple of explosive quarters, the Mustangs women’s basketball team knocked off the Lions 75-62 before a jubilant crowd at Bross Court.

“I’m obviously excited for our team to earn a great win against a great team,” said TMU Coach Dan Waldeck. “But mostly it was a joy to see our team implement concepts and systems that we’ve been emphasizing.”

That implementation wasn’t seamless over the opening 10 minutes as the Mustangs (13-5, 3-3 GSAC) spotted the Lions (14-2, 4-2) the game’s first seven points and trailed after one period 18-11.

However, the offense started to click about two minutes into the second quarter when a Sabrina Thompson layup fueled a game-changing 21-3 run that turned a seven-point deficit into an 11-point lead.

Thompson may have been the instigator, but Forrar was the finisher. The sophomore guard scored nine points during the decisive burst that put the Mustangs ahead to stay. Six of those points came on a three-point play and a 3-pointer.

Not to be overlooked during a stanza in which the Mustangs outscored the Lions 23-5 was a stingy defense that held the Lions to 15% (2-13) shooting.

Meanwhile, the Mustangs went 9-for-14 from the field and used that to take a 34-23 lead into halftime.

Waldeck and his Mustangs knew the Lions were too good to keep shooting that way, and they were right.

Coming out of the break, Vanguard heated up and used a 12-0 run in a three-minute window to pull within 39-38 at the 4:55 mark of the third quarter.

Forrar put a stop to the Vanguard burst with a 3-pointer and added two free throws as part of an 8-0 spurt that restored order for TMU.

Tristen Coltom‘s 3-pointer with 2:40 left in the stanza capped the run and another trey from the freshman with the clock ticking down in the period gave the Mustangs a 51-42 lead after three.

She wasn’t done, either. Her fourth and final trey of the evening 41 seconds into the fourth quarter made it a 56-42 game, and when Jamilee Iddings drained another three less than a minute later, the Mustangs had their largest lead of the evening, 59-42.

The Mustangs enjoyed their double-digit cushion for a while before the Lions made one last rush. Down 61-46 with 6:39 to play, Vanguard outscored the Mustangs 10-3 in a three-minute span to get within eight (64-56).

Hannah Throns responded with a big three-point play, and then Forrar went back to work from the line as the Lions fouled in a last-ditch effort to close the gap.

In the final 99 seconds of play, Forrar canned five straight free throws that served as daggers as the Mustangs pulled away for the win.

“Forrar is a tremendous player,” Waldeck said. “But it was every player that fulfilled their role tonight that encouraged me most.”

Forrar’s career-high total was forged on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, including a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc, and 14 free throws in 19 attempts.

All of Coltom’s 12 points came from long distance as her four treys equaled a career-high.

Sporting a 3-3 record in the GSAC, two games behind frontrunners Menlo and Westmont, the Mustangs turn their attention next to Hope International which invades Bross Court on Saturday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.