COSTA MESA, Calif. – Brock Gardner scored a career-high 43 points, as second-ranked The Master's built a 22-point second half lead and withstood a valiant rally from the College of Idaho to defeat the Yotes 86-76 on Day 1 of the Vanguard Thanksgiving Classic.
Gardner added seven rebounds and five steals, as the Mustangs (7-0) remained unbeaten on the season.
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Derek Wadsworth 3-pointer midway through the first half gave the No. 5-ranked Coyotes (6-3) a 14-12 lead – but Gardner scored the next eight points, part of a 10-0 run that would give TMU a lead they would not surrender.
The margin would grow to 66-44 with 10 minutes left in the game, but C of I answered with a 19-3 run – keyed by consecutive 3-point baskets from
Ricardo Time – cutting the gap to 69-63 with 5:29 remaining, but could not get closer.
Time led C of I with 19 points, with
Connor Desaulniers adding 12 points and eight rebounds and Wadsworth scoring 10.
The Yotes played without All-America point-guard,
Talon Pinckney, who missed the contest due to injury.
C of I closes out tournament play tomorrow, meeting host Vanguard at 5 p.m. (PT)
