The Raven Men's Basketball team made plays down the stretch to defeat Graceland University in the quarterfinals of the Heart of America Conference Tournament on Thursday.
After falling behind 64-63 with 23 seconds remaining, the Ravens did what they needed to down the stretch as they topped Graceland 67-64.
Jaiden Bristol was the go-to man down the stretch, converting on a pair of drives to the bucket to push the Ravens in front. The first came with 48 seconds to play and the Ravens down 62-61. The Ravens cleared the lane and Bristol drove to his right, sinking a floater to give the Ravens a 63-62 lead.
Graceland answered, though, with Justin Harley's bucket put the Yellowjackets back up by 1 point. Again, Bristol was up to the challenge. The Ravens gave the sophomore point guard space and he drove to his right again, sinking another floater to push the Ravens in front, 65-64.
Now it was up to the defense to hold strong, and it did just that as Mo Jackson's 3-pointer was off the mark. However, Colby Nickels was whistled for a foul while boxing out for the rebound. With 3 seconds on the clock, Will Nelson stepped to the line to attempt to tie the game or give Graceland the lead. Nelson missed the front-end of the one-and-one free throw, Nickels grabbed the board and then sank both free throws after being fouled, giving the Ravens the 3-point winning margin.
The win sends the Ravens (29-2) to the semifinals of the Heart Tournament and extends their winning streak to 28 games.
The first half showcased hot shooting for the Ravens from deep, particularly Thomas O'Connor. The senior buried four 3-pointers in the first half and finished the game with 15 points. The Ravens made nine treys in the opening half and held a 37-30 lead at the break.
Graceland, the defending national champions, didn't go away in the second half. The final 15 minutes of the game were played with each team within 3 points of each other. In those final 15 minutes, the game was tied seven times and the lead changed hands six times.
Eric Krus led the Ravens with 17 points and nine rebounds. Bristol scored 8 points and dished out five assists and Nickels added 13 points.
The Ravens shot 37.9 percent from the field, but 42.4 percent from deep. They grabbed 38 rebounds. Graceland managed to shoot 40.3 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from 3, and also had 38 rebounds. The Ravens forced nine turnovers and scored 14 points off those turnovers. Graceland missed chances at the free throw line, converting just two of seven attempts.
The Ravens will take on Clarke University Saturday, March 9 in the tournament semifinals at 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for $8 (GA) and $2 (17-and-under). BC students are free with a valid ID.
