Women's Basketball picked up a big-time win Saturday afternoon in the Ralph Nolan Gym.
The Ravens erased a deficit in the fourth quarter to beat (24) Morningside College 66-64.
Trailing 54-50 heading into the final quarter, the Ravens turned to their defense, which had been strong all game. The Ravens forced eight Morningside turnovers in the fourth quarter and limited the Mustangs to 4-of-14 shooting in the final 10 minutes.
On the other end of the floor, the Ravens got some timely buckets by several players. Perhaps the most important was Alleigh Kramer's 3-pointer with 2 minutes to play that gave the Ravens a 1-point lead. Kramer followed that up with a pair of free throws. Skylar Washington also hit two free throws with less than a minute left, to give the Ravens a 66-61 lead, and they turned out to be the final difference in the game.
The Ravens played their most complete game of the young season, forcing 24 Mustangs turnovers on defense and shooting 51% from the field on offense. The Ravens entered the contest struggling from deep, but they knocked own 6-12 3-pointers Saturday afternoon.
The teams were even through the first quarter. Sam Brennan hit a baseline runner at the buzzer to finish out a 17-17 first frame. Each team was bitten by the turnover bug with the Ravens turning the ball over 10 times and the Mustangs 7 times.
The Mustangs started the second quarter strong, taking a 26-19 lead thanks to a 9-2 run to open the period. Morningside used a strong second and third quarter to blow out MidAmerican Nazarene University Friday night, but the Ravens were able to halt the visitors' momentum in the second quarter on Saturday. The Ravens held the Mustangs to 6 points over the final 6 minutes of the quarter and trailed by 2 points, 32-30, at the break.
Washington was instrumental for the Ravens in the second quarter, scoring 7-straight points for the home side, and had 10 points at halftime. Brennan had the final points of the quarter once again, driving to the basket for a layup with 2 seconds left on the clock. She closed out the half with a team-high 11 points.
Both teams were hot behind the arc in the third quarter. Kynli Nelson drained three 3-pointers for the Ravens while the Mustangs had three triples, as well, including one before the buzzer to end the quarter to give the visitors a 54-50 lead. The Ravens erased that deficit in the fourth quarter, though, picking up the come-from-behind win.
Washington led all scorers with 16 points. Brennan had 13 points and three steals, Nelson had 9 points, and Natalie Smaron and Kramer added 8 points, each.
The Ravens (2-2) have a week to prepare for their Heart of America opener. They'll take on William Penn University at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 at home.
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