Men's Basketball Ousted by No. 15-ranked The Master's University

OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 3, 2023) – The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) men's basketball team lost to No. 15-ranked The Master's University (TMU) 96-77 to begin play at the Abe Lemons Classic on Friday. The Saints drop to 0-2 while the Mustangs improve to 1-1.

Head Coach Chris Dial commented, "Rebounding continues to plague us. We can't spot a ranked team, or anyone, that many second chances and we need to get tougher. We played even for the most part and I was proud of the way we responded after halftime. The attention shifts to our next game which tips in about 16 hours."

History

This was the first meeting between the two programs.

Basics

The Mustangs shot over 40 percent from both the field and three-point range in the first half. Both teams turned the ball over four times. The Saints shot 80 percent from the free-throw line while the Mustangs marked 62.5 percent. TMU led by 15 points heading into halftime. Lonzo Rand had double-digit points in the first frame.

OLLU's offense picked up in the second half. They shot 41.9 percent from the field but only hit 1-of-10 from the three-point line. TMU's offense continued to surge by shooting 50 percent from the field. They finished with five blocks and three players scored double-digit points. The Mustangs won by 19 points for their first win of the season.

Offensive/defensive standouts

Rand led the Saints with 16 points. Rand also tallied a team-high six rebounds. Three Saints players had two assists each.

Caden Starr led TMU with 32 points. Jordan Caruso grabbed 14 rebounds along with 10 points for a double-double. Ty Harper led the team with four assists.

Inside the box

OLLU combined for 25-of-61 shooting for 41 percent, 2-of-16 from three-point range for 12.5 percent and 25-of-31 from the free-throw line for 80.6 percent. TMU shot 32-of-71 for 45.1 percent, 14-of-37 three pointers for 37.8 percent and 18-of-30 from the free-throw line for 60 percent.

The Saints grabbed 33 rebounds while TMU collected 59. Both teams committed nine turnovers.

Up next

The Saints conclude play in the Abe Lemons Classic against Missouri Baptist tomorrow at 12 p.m.