Strong 3-point shooting by a pair of guards helped guide the Raven Men's Basketball to a 71-51 win against (RV) Graceland University on Saturday afternoon at Ralph Nolan Gymnasium.
Thomas O'Connor and Grant Lahm combined to make 10-of-16 3-pointers, with each making five, as the (3) Ravens improved to 22-2 on the season and 18-0 in Heart of America Conference play. The victory is the 21st win in a row for the Ravens.
On Senior Day, Coach Ryan Moody went with a little different starting five. Lahm, Payton Heinen and Kyle Harrison joined Adam Kutney and O'Connor, but there was no lack of production from the new group. The Ravens took an 11-3 lead thanks to two 3-pointers from Lahm and one from O'Connor, plus a bucket by Heinen.
Lahm went on to sink two more 3s in the first half plus three free throws after getting fouled on a deep attempt. The scoring burst helped give the Ravens a 33-23 halftime lead.
Entering the game, Graceland was ranked third in NAIA Div. I in 3-point field goal defense, limiting their opponents to just 30.7 percent. After shooting 50 percent for the first half, the Ravens cooled slightly in the second half to finish the game at 43.3 percent from beyond the arc.
That lead ballooned in the second half. Jayden Temme's 3-pointer gave the Ravens a 13-point lead and the route was on. A bucket by Heinen with 9:50 left to play gave the Ravens their largest lead of the game at 55-31.
The Ravens finished the game shooting 46 percent from the field and 43.3 from deep, but it was what happened on the defensive end that was really noteworthy.
Graceland entered the game averaging 74 points per game but was held 23 points below that on Saturday. The Yellowjackets shot 31.5 percent from the field and only 25 percent from behind the 3-point line. Graceland also committed 17 turnovers.
Ten different Ravens saw more than 15 minutes of playing time Saturday. O'Connor and Lahm led the scoring efforts with 18 points while Colby Nickels added 12 points. Lahm set a new career-high for points in a game, besting his previous mark of 11 points.
With the win and Peru State's loss on Saturday, the Ravens now hold a five-game advantage over the second-place team in the Heart, with six games left on the schedule.
The Ravens continue Heart play at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13 at home against Evangel.
