Game Recap By Mason Nesbitt, TMU Sports Information Director

For the first time this season, fans of The Master’s University women’s basketball team didn’t need a laptop or tablet to catch a glimpse of the Mustangs — and there was a lot to like about Friday’s live rendition.

Stephanie Soares scored a career-high 29 points, Jamilee Iddings made five three-pointers and keyed a second unit that lifted Master’s out of a slow start, and the Mustangs cruised past Westcliff University, 107-45, inside The MacArthur Center.

Master’s, ranked 14th in the NAIA, moved to 3-1 on the season, while Westcliff fell to 0-6.

The game was Soares’ introduction to Bross Court after the Mustangs made a grueling three-game swing through Montana to start the year.

The Mustangs went 2-1, closing the trip with an impressive win over No. 7 Carroll College on Nov. 9. Soares blocked a school-record 10 shots and scored 17 points in her collegiate debut at Montana Tech earlier in the road trip.

Friday, she admitted to feeling a little nervous for her home debut because it meant playing in front of classmates. Any butterflies soon fluttered off into the night.

The 6-foot-6 freshman made 11-of-19 shots and 7-of-11 from the free throw line. She showed athleticism, catching the ball and finishing in transition, and the strength to finish in traffic down low.

A footnote: She also blocked four shots with three steals and six rebounds in 24 minutes.

“I was like, ‘Steph, shoot it every time,'” said guard Tristen Coltom, who made two of TMU’s 13 three-pointers. “She couldn’t be stopped tonight. She knew it. We knew it. It was fun to watch.”

So too was Iddings, whose roof-scrapping raindrops seemingly left the net undisturbed. She finished with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting and sparked a second unit that provided a scoring punch and defensive pressure late in the first quarter, helping lift TMU out of an early funk.

The Warriors pulled into a 10-10 tie with four and a half minutes left in the first frame. It was — Waldeck said — a matter of nervous energy. The Mustangs entered the gym amped up to play in front of their home fans.

As TMU struggled to separate, Soares said the team preached defense to itself.

“We needed to play under control and be able to guard our man first,” she said.

The Mustangs built a 51-25 lead by the half and extended their advantage from there.

Anika Neuman contributed 16 points and seven rebounds. Brooke Bailey recorded her first double double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Hannah Throns chipped in seven points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Throns’ younger sister, Rebekah, led the way with 13 rebounds in a win that represented one of TMU’s largest margins of victory in program history. The record came during the 1999-2000 season when the Mustangs beat American Indian (Arizona) by 95 points.

Here’s the box score.

Soares said the key to playing in a lopsided game is to keeping scoring.

“Don’t let down,” she said.

The Mustangs can’t afford to. They will travel to Thousand Oaks on Monday to play Cal Lutheran at 6:30 p.m. Master’s will return to Bross Court on Nov. 24 to take on the University of Antelope Valley.