Women's Basketball didn't show any rust Wednesday night coming off a long break.

Playing for the first time since Dec. 5, the Ravens beat the Missouri Valley College Vikings 78-53 inside the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium.

The first time the Ravens and Vikings met this season, the Ravens squeaked out a 44-43 road victory in November. That point total was nearly matched in the first half as the Ravens took a commanding 43-22 lead after 20 minutes.

The Ravens started hot from the opening moments, taking a 23-12 lead after 10 minutes of play. They were 9-of-18 from the field in the opening quarter, including hitting 3-6 from behind the 3-point line. The Ravens averaged 15.1 points in the first quarter entering Wednesday's contest.

While the Ravens didn't shoot quite as well in the second quarter, going 7-17 from the floor, they dominated in key areas and took a 43-22 lead into the halftime break. The Ravens forced 12 Vikings turnovers in the first half and committed just 4 themselves. They also out-rebounded the Vikings 20-13 in the first half, including 10 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points.

Natalie Smaron led the Ravens with 13 points and seven rebounds in the opening half, while Ali Brzozowski added 11 points and four boards.

The second half was more of the same for the Ravens as they stretched their lead to 31 at one point. The home squad shot 51.7% from the field in the second half and finished at 48.4% in the contest. The Ravens connected on just 26.9% of their shots in the November matchup against the Vikings. Smaron added to her total, finishing with 25 points for a new career high. Brzozowski added 15 points and nine other Ravens scored in the game.

One of the keys to the Ravens offensive output was ball movement; they had 19 assists on 31 baskets. Sam Brennan led the team with 5 assists.

The Ravens remain home for their next contest. They'll play at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9 against Central Methodist University.

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