The rivalry returned Monday night in the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium when Men's Basketball hosted NCAA Division II Rockhurst University in an exhibition contest.

The (9) Ravens lost to the Hawks 79-68 in a game that included 58 fouls as each team tried to get back into game shape.

The Hawks took a 9-point lead into halftime, then extended that to as many as 17 points early in the second half. The Ravens fought back to cut the deficit to single digits at one point late in the game, but the Hawks hung on for the win.

Turnovers slowed the Ravens in the first half as they gave up the ball 10 times in the opening 20 minutes and had 17 in the contest. The game was close throughout the first half, but the Hawks were able to play well down the stretch and take a 38-29 lead into the locker room.

Matt Austin led the charge in the first half with 10 points and finished with 24, while Jaiden Bristol added 11 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists on the night. Chris Hamil netted 16 points and Quinton Curry added another 16 points to go with eight boards for Rockhurst.

The battle against Rockhurst's bigs, like Curry, was a good learning experience for a Ravens team that features sophomores and freshmen in the frontcourt.

The Ravens will officially begin the regular season when they take part in the Cattle Classic hosted by Concordia (Neb.) University in Seward, Neb. They'll take on Hastings College on Friday, Nov. 1 and then Concordia on Saturday, Nov. 2.

The Ravens first home regular-season game will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8 against Morningside College (No. 4 in NAIA Div. II) in the BC Classic. The final game of the BC Classic will be a 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 matchup with John Brown University.