Women's Basketball lost a tough battle on their home court Saturday afternoon.
The (RV) Ravens lost the MidAmerica Nazarene University Pioneers 69-62 in a game that was tight from start to finish.
Tied heading into the fourth quarter, it was back-to-back 3-pointers halfway through the period that gave the visitors the lead, and the Ravens were unable to mount a comeback. The Pioneers held on for the 7-point win as the Ravens struggled to score down the stretch.
Natalie Smaron led the Ravens with 21 points and 9 rebounds. She was joined in double-figures by Ali Brzozowski and Skylar Washington, who scored 15 and 12 points, respectively.
The Ravens shot 41.3 percent from the field, but just 22.2 percent from 3-point range in the game. Conversely, the Pioneers shot 50 percent from the field and from deep, and were scorching hot in the second half. MNU shot 69.6 percent from the field and made 6-of-8 from deep in the final 20 minutes.
The long ball helped lead the Pioneers to a 17-13 lead after one quarter of play. MNU sank three 3-points while the Ravens missed both deep shots they attempted in the first quarter. That helped cause the Ravens 4-point deficit heading into the second period.
The Ravens responded well in the second quarter, out-scoring the Pioneers 21-10 to take a 34-27 lead into halftime. The Ravens shot 44 percent from the field in the second quarter, including knocking down their first two 3-pointers of the game and finished shooting 42.4 percent in the opening half.
The defense held the Pioneers to 25 percent shooting in the second quarter, and 33.3 percent in the first half.
The Pioneers erased the Ravens lead in the third quarter, and the two teams headed to the fourth tied up, 49-49. Both teams amped up the defensive pressure in the third quarter as the Ravens forced 5 Pioneers turnovers, and MNU forced 7 turnovers for the Ravens. MNU controlled the final 10 minutes, knocking off the Ravens at home.
The Ravens (8-2, 1-1 Heart) will play Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the Evangel Valor.
