Entering the game with the No. 10-ranked scoring defense in NAIA Div. I, Park University held the Raven Men's Basketball team 19 points below their season average en route to a 71-60 win on Saturday in the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium.
Benedictine (9-5) turned the ball over 16 times against Park (4-7) which the Pirates turned into a 20-5 advantage in points off turnovers as they handed the Ravens their fourth non-conference loss of the season.
The Pirates were sparked off their bench by Mason Stuteville. Stuteville scored 20 points to give the Pirates a 31-16 advantage off the bench.
Benedictine started out strong pushing out to an 8-0 advantage. Park was able to answer as their offense got going as they erased the Ravens lead with a 15-2 run to pull ahead of Benedictine by five points near the midpoint of the first half.
Adam Kutney pulled the Ravens even with a pair of free throws at 25-all before the Pirates closed the half outscoring Benedictine 13-11 to take 38-33 lead into halftime.
The Pirates were able to maintain their halftime lead, pulling ahead by as much as nine points before Reshardd Harris pulled the Ravens back even at 47-all with just under 13 minutes left in the game. Park answered with a 12-2 run to pull back in front by 10 points and never looked back.
After falling behind by as much as 13 points, the Ravens cut their deficit down to seven points on a basket from Jaiden Bristol but couldn't pull any closer as the Pirates earned the nine-point lead.
Harris led the Ravens with a double-double, his third on the season and second straight, as he scored 14 points with 18 rebounds. Thomas O'Connor gave the Ravens a second double-digit scorer with 13 points with 3 3-pointers and a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the charity stripe.
The Ravens finished the game at 39.3 percent from the floor with a 82.4 percent game from the free throw line and finished with a 34-18 advantage in the paint.
Benedictine returns to Heart play on Jan. 3 with a trip Oskaloosa, Iowa, to take on (3) William Penn University at 7:30 p.m. before traveling to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a match up with Mount Mercy University at 2 p.m. on Jan. 6. They return home to take on Baker University on Jan. 10.
