Beat Goes On for The Master’s
Erin Buescher remains sidelined by a stress fracture, but The Master’s College women’s basketball team continues to roll toward the postseason.
The Mustangs have won 20 in a row, including four without Buescher, an All-American transfer from UC Santa Barbara who leads the team with averages of 17.6 points and 9.6 rebounds.
Contributions have come from several players, including Lesley DuBois, who averages 15 points and 6.9 rebounds. Kelly Cornell has 92 assists and is shooting 58.2%, Tori Olson averages 9.3 points on 51.1% shooting, Jorden Whittington averages 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds, and Melynda McNicol averages 8.1 points and is shooting 45.7% from three-point range.
The Mustangs are ranked No. 7 in the NAIA with two regular-season games to play. They are the third-highest scoring team in the nation at 84.1 points per game, ninth in scoring defense at 56.5 and second in scoring margin at 27.6.
Buescher, a senior guard, will return in time for the playoffs.
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Being alone in the Big Sky Conference lead certainly isn’t enough for Cal State Northridge.
“The best is yet to come,” Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell said after the Matadors’ 96-86 victory last week over Weber State. “That’s my mantra.”
Braswell was cautiously optimistic after the Matadors won their fourth in a row to move a game ahead of Eastern Washington.
Northridge (15-8, 8-2 in the Big Sky) plays tonight at Idaho State (8-11, 4-4), then plays its next three at home.
“We’re in control of our own destiny,” Braswell said. “But it’s like a 12-round prizefight. It isn’t going to be easy.”
Northridge has won seven in a row over Idaho State, including three at Pocatello. But the Bengals’ 70-63 victory at Northern Arizona last week is reason to be concerned, Braswell said.
Center Doug Silva , a 6-11 senior, was selected Big Sky player of the week after the Bengals completed their first road conference sweep since 1996.
“They beat [Northern Arizona] at [Northern Arizona],” Braswell said. “That’s something we didn’t do.”
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Northridge’s women’s team plays first-place Idaho State tonight at the Matadome.
The Bengals (15-4) are 8-0 in the Big Sky and riding a school-record 11-game winning streak. Idaho State has finished third in the Big Sky Conference three of the last four years.
Mandi Carver of Idaho State, a 6-2 junior forward, was selected conference player of the week for the second time this season. She averages 14.2 points and 10.2 rebounds to lead the Bengals.
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Chris Cordeiro was known for poise and pinpoint control at Thousand Oaks High. The right-handed pitcher displayed those characteristics at UCLA for the first time Tuesday against Loyola Marymount.
The freshman was summoned with one out and runners on first and second in the ninth inning, the Bruins clinging to a 10-6 lead. Cordeiro went after the first batter he faced, Kris Zacuto, getting a game-ending double play ground ball to shortstop.
Billy Lockin of Loyola Marymount, a freshman second baseman and Cordeiro’s high school teammate, had two hits and six assists.
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FOOTBALL COMMITMENTS TO CS NORTHRIDGE
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Pos Name Last School OL Carlos Acosta Moorpark College/USC DB Kingsley Echema Hawthorne High DL Puleival Engata San Bernardino College OL Jason Youngs Canyons/Mississippi
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