A six-point lead with 1:21 to play was erased as The Master’s University men’s basketball team lost to No. 13 Hope International 81-80 Tuesday night, Jan. 6.

The Mustangs (10-6, 3-1) led by as much as 10 points with 4:28 to play. The loss was the first conference loss of the season for TMU.

The Master’s made 30 of 67 (45 percent) from the field, including 14 three-pointers. TMU’s defense held the conference’s No. 1 three-point shooting team to just two of 20 (10 percent) from long range. On the season, the Royals had made more than 41 percent of their shots from behind the arc.

But that last three-pointer came with 1:21 to play to draw Hope to within three and give it a fresh breath of life.

“With three minutes to go we didn’t guard or rebound well enough to win a conference game against a nationally ranked team,” said TMU Head Coach Kelvin Starr. “We played really well for 37 minutes but not good enough for three.”

From the start it looked like the No. 13 team in the NAIA was going to have its way. The Royals jumped out to a 7-2 early lead, only to find Master’s going on a 12-3 run to show the Mustangs were going to compete. A few moments later, back-to-back three-pointers by Avery Jackson put The Master’s up 26-17.

Hope fought back and closed to within three with 21 seconds to play in the half. But a three-pointer at the buzzer from Caden DeVries vaulted the Mustangs into the locker room up 41-35.

After trading field goals and free throws to start the second half, TMU’s lead stayed within five to seven points. Back-to-back threes from Brayden Miner gave the Mustangs the first double-digit lead of the game at 56-45 with 14:17 to play. That lead got up to 12 and for the most part stayed double digits until there was 4:28 to play. That’s when missed shots and opportunities by the Mustangs turned into points for the Royals, including an offensive rebound and a put-back to win it with five seconds on the clock.

The lead was erased and the Royals came away with the one-point win.

“We played good defense for most of the game,” Starr said. “It was just a stretch down the last three minutes where we had a hard time getting a stop. That’s what let them back into it.”

Quincy Phillips led The Master’s with 21 points while Miner netted 20 on five three-pointers and Jackson finished with 16. Duke Gipson, in just his second game with the team, pulled down eight rebounds, four of which were off the offensive glass. Jazen Guillory dished a team-high seven assists.

The Master’s will be back inside The MacArthur Center Thursday, Jan. 8 when it hosts the Embry-Riddle Eagles at 7:30 p.m.

For more information visit GoMustangs.com.