Life Isn’t Beautiful for Master’s
Life’s tough. Few know better than The Master’s College.
For the second time this season, the Mustangs were defeated by Life, a Marietta, Ga., school that won two of the last three NAIA championships and appears well on its way to another.
The tiny Master’s gym was crammed to the rafters with fans wearing yellow T-shirts reading “Tired of Life?” on the front and “Definitely,” on the back.
By the end, the Mustang players trying to stop Life guard Jimmie Hunter were definitely exhausted. Hunter, a transfer from NCAA Division I Memphis, scored 37 points in the Running Eagles’ 96-92 victory Saturday night.
Hunter scored 39 in an 87-86 victory over Master’s on Jan. 24 at Life. Master’s (25-4) is ranked No. 5 in the NAIA, but Hunter is the key to Life’s No. 1 ranking and 26-1 record.
“He’s the best player I’ve ever played against,” said Joey Penberthy, Master’s senior All-American guard.
Most of Hunter’s damage late in the game came on free throws. Master’s racked up 10 fouls midway through the second half and had to back off its signature pressure defense.
However, the back-breaker came not from Hunter but from light-scoring Chummy Johnson, whose three-point basket built Life’s lead to 93-88 with 2:22 to play. They were Johnson’s only points.
They know all about broken backs at Life. Established in 1974 with 22 students, it has grown into the world’s largest chiropractic school. Athletics is a priority partly because founder and president Sid E. Williams played football at Georgia Tech.
“Sid sees the public relations value of a good sports program,” Life Coach Roger Kaiser said.
Never had Kaiser seen--or heard--an NAIA crowd like at Master’s. The stands were packed and several hundred fans stood three and four rows deep around the court, an estimated 1,600 in all. Dozens were turned away.
“I grew up in Indiana and this was like high school basketball there,” Kaiser said. “The ceiling is low and it holds the noise in. What I liked was that they yelled for their team, not against us.”
Much of the cheering was for Master’s forward Jacy Armbruster, who made eight of 12 shots and scored 20 points. Joclin Julmist had 14 points and 19 rebounds for the Mustangs, but Life beat Master’s on the boards, 40-34.
Penberthy, who averages 21 points, scored 18, but made only seven of 18 shots.
“It was a rough night,” Penberthy said.
“We’ve got a long way to go. We have a month to get there.”
Master’s is a good bet to advance to the NAIA nationals for the seventh consecutive year under Coach Bill Oates. To win the championship for the first time, it will almost certainly need a victory over you-know-who.
Not everybody gets a second chance at Life. Master’s must hope for a third.
