The Raven Men used hot shooting to take down Haskell Indian Nations University Wednesday afternoon in the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium. The No. 15 Ravens won 79-62 and led by as many as 27 points in the second half.
The Ravens shot 53.7 percent from the field, 60.9 percent in the second half alone, and made 53.1 percent of their 3-point shots. The ball movement was solid as well, as the Ravens had 21 assists on 29 made field goals.
It was a fast start for the Ravens as they picked up a 13-4 lead thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers by Colby Nickels and Thomas O'Connor. The lead reached 12 points a few times in the first half, the last time on a pair of free throws by Wills Wallrapp to push the score to 23-11 with 11:14 to play before halftime.
Haskell closed the gap though, evening the score at 23-23. The Ravens closed the half strong, taking a 41-30 lead into halftime.
The Ravens held a double-digit lead for all but 20 seconds in the second half. Over one stretch in the mid-way point of the second half, Jaiden Bristol sank a pair of 3-pointers, then Chris Jackson and Jayden Temme hit a couple shots behind the line to push the lead to 73-46. Haskell chipped away at the lead toward the end of the contest, but the Ravens comfortably held on for the win.
O'Connor scored 17 to lead the Ravens, with all 17 points coming in the first half. Nickels and Bristol had 14 points, each, and Adam Kutney had 10 points, plus five assists. Eric Krus also had three blocks, Payton Heinen had two blocks and Tyson Cathy added a rejection, as well.
The Ravens (10-2, 6-0 Heart of America) have one more game in 2018. They'll travel to Lamoni, Iowa, to take on No. 25 Graceland, the defending NAIA Division I National Champions.
