Men's Basketball put together a dominant second half Saturday, erasing a halftime deficit for a home win.
The (25) Ravens took down the Mount Mercy University Mustangs 80-66 after trailing by 6 points at halftime.
The Ravens changed their approach offensively in the second half, and it paid off quickly. After taking 20 3-pointers in the first half and scoring just 6 points in the paint, the Ravens started attacking the lane in the second half.
The Ravens started the second half on an 11-2 run to move in front 44-41. The teams traded 3-pointers and were tied 47-47 before another small Ravens run gave them a 57-51 lead with 9:51 to play. The Mustangs never got closer than 4 points the remainder of the game, as the Ravens pushed their lead to as many as 15 points at one time. Going inside worked out well as the Ravens scored 26 points in the lane in the second half, shooting 56.7% from the field in the final 20 minutes.
Matt Austin led the team with 17 points while Chris Jackson added 16 points. Jaiden Bristol had 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Tyson Cathy came up big off the bench, scoring 10 points and grabbing 13 boards.
The Ravens defense was also strong in the second half as they held the Mustangs to 22.2% shooting in the final half.
The Ravens faced a 39-33 deficit at halftime after struggling shooting the ball in the first half. The Ravens had several shots nearly fall but ultimately rimmed out as they shot 33.3% from the field and 30% from beyond the 3-point line in the first 20 minutes. The Ravens entered Saturday's contest shooting 42.9% from 3-point range, the second-best mark in the NAIA.
On the other end of the court, MMU didn't share the same struggles. The Mustangs shot 53.9% from the field as they built a 39-33 lead at the break. However, the Ravens decision to attack the paint and their strong defense turned the tide in the second half.
The Ravens (17-5, 14-4 Heart) have a week off to rest up for their final regular season game, a Monday, Feb. 22 home tilt against the Grand View University Vikings.
