Atherton, CA - The Hope International University women's basketball team (22-7) knocked off No. 5 seed The Masters 72-64 in their opening playoff game at the Haynes-Prim Pavilion on Thursday evening.

The Mustangs and the Royals battled at the beginning of the quarter until the Mustangs pulled away by five points (11-6). With five minutes to go, Shailissa Jarrett (#33) made a crucial lay-up and got the extra free throw to swing the game back to the Royals (11-10). Both teams battled it out untill the end of the quarter with the score tied up at 15-15. To start the second quarter the Royals added to their momentum and took the lead by eight points (25-17). Shiane Talley (#2) with a quick three-pointer and lay-up helped keep the Royals lead (23-17). With three minutes left in the quarter, Jeanette Fine (#11) scored the lay-up to help the Royals take an 11-point lead over the Mustangs (31-22). The Mustangs did not have an answer for the Royals as they only scored seven points in the whole quarter with the score 33-22 at the half. The leading scorers for the Royals were (#2) Tally leading with 11 points and (#11) Fine with 10 points.

The Royals continued their momentum into the third as they opened on a 6-0 run with the six points coming from both Fine (#11) and Talley (#2), the Mustangs were forced to call a time-out with the Royals leading (38-22). Ella Brubaker (#11) then sunk a free throw to put the Mustangs back on the board after not scoring for eight minutes. The Mustangs started to get some fight in them as Marin Lenz (#1) and Brubaker (#11) both scored three-pointers to try and get their team within an 11-point deficit (43-32). That did not scare Fine (#11), as she scored seven points to help the Royals lead by 20 at the end of the third (54-34). The Royals kept pouring pressure on the Mustangs as Tally (#2) scored five quick points to help the with the lead (59-34). The Mustangs refused to give up as Brubaker (#11) and Isabela Hernandez (#10) made a couple of three-pointers to get the Royals lead down to 18 (63-45). Brubaker (#11) kept the Royals on their toes scoring five more points with almost two minutes left in the 4th quarter (66-52). Rachel Capinia (#24) then scored a dagger three for the Royals (70-57) as they pulled away with the win over the Mustangs and won their first playoff game (72-64).

The Royals will continue on to their second game in the GSAC tournament playing as the No. 4 seed taking on the No. 1 seed Westmont College in the semifinals on Friday, February 24 in Atherton, CA.