Fast Start by Master’s Wasted, 91-81

Is it possible for a basketball team to have too much success shooting the ball in the first half of a game?

The Master’s point guard Mike Penberthy thought so after the Mustangs’ 91-81 loss to visiting Westmont in a nonconference game Tuesday night.

After hitting only two of its first 10 shots, Master’s (4-2) made 18 of its last 24 in the first half to take a 46-40 lead at intermission.

The collective hot hand that the Mustangs were feeling at halftime proved deadly in the second half when they cooled off. Instead of running their offense properly, they put up the ball too quickly.

“We didn’t miss a whole lot of shots in the first half,” said Penberthy, who scored 25 points. “And I think that hurt us in the second half. We’ve got a lot of shooters on this team and when that happens, you tend to think that everything is going to keep falling for you.”

When it didn’t, Master’s had a hard time getting back on defense and allowed numerous open shots for Westmont (5-1), which won its third in a row.

Sean Martin, a former Agoura High standout, led the Warriors with 30 points, including 18 in the second half. Martin was nine of 13 from the field and a sizzling eight of 10 from three-point range.

He scored 10 points during an 18-7 Westmont run that gave the Warriors a 63-56 lead with 11 minutes 17 seconds left in the game. He nailed two three-point shots after a pair of Penberthy free throws had pulled the Mustangs to within 72-66.

The first three-point basket gave Westmont a 75-66 lead with 5:33 left and the second boosted the Warriors’ advantage to 81-69 with 3:40 to go.

“That was the big play of the game right there,” Penberthy said. “We got it down to six and then he hits that three-pointer. That was a backbreaker.”

Martin’s second three-point bomb during the run followed another by teammate Zak DeMatteo.

DeMatteo scored all of his 10 points in the second half, and Braden Weber and Tim Schoolland each added 15 for Westmont.

Leo Gorauskas and James Mosley scored 17 and 16 points for Master’s.