Women's Basketball knocked off previously unbeaten Evangel University at home on Saturday.
The Ravens beat the Crusaders 64-57 to head into an extended break with a win.
Tied 11-11 after one quarter of play, the Ravens found some offensive rhythm in the second quarter. Evangel entered the game allowing opponents to shoot just 27.2% from the field, but the Ravens knocked down 10-of-13 shots in the second quarter. The Ravens greatly benefited from a strong end to the quarter. Tied 23-23 with 3 minutes to play before half, the Ravens went on a 13-2 run to take a 36-25 lead at the break.
Aaliyah Raines got the run started with a basket, then Alleigh Kramer knocked down a 3-pointer. Twilah Carrasquillo added 3 more points on an and-1, then Ali Brzozowski hit a 3-pointer and another bucket just before the halftime buzzer.
Skylar Washington's 8 points paced the Ravens at the half, while Brzozowski added 7 points and five rebounds. As a team, the Ravens grabbed 10 more rebounds than the Crusaders in the opening 20 minutes, turning seven offensive boards into 11 second-chance points.
Defensively in the second quarter, the Ravens forced four more Evangel turnovers, totaling nine turnovers for the Crusaders in the first half.
The Ravens maintained an 11-point lead following the third quarter. The defense picked up three steals in the third quarter and forced five total Crusaders turnovers. The Ravens entered the fourth quarter with a 52-41 advantage.
The Crusaders were able to narrow the gap at times in the fourth quarter, but the Ravens never let the visitors get closer than 6 points. Baskets by Washington and Smaron helped turn the tide each time Evangel got to within 6 points.
Washington finished with a game-high 15 points. Raines and Brzozowski finished with 9 points and Smaron led all players with 11 rebounds.
The Ravens grabbed 17 more rebounds than the Crusaders after entering the game with 402 rebounds on the season, second-most in the NAIA. They also led the NAIA with 128 steals before Saturday and added 10 more to their total against Evangel.
The Ravens move to 7-4 on the season, 5-2 in Heart of America play. They won't take the floor again until Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at home against Missouri Valley College.
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