(25) Raven Women's Basketball opens up their 2022 home schedule tonight at 5:30 p.m. with a Heart cross-divisional game with Peru State. Tonight's meeting marks the only game between the two schools this year as the conference schedule format continues with a single meeting between cross-divisions opponents.
The Series: Benedictine enters the matchup with Peru State with a 17-2 series mark since the Bobcats joined the Heart and the Ravens are 23-2 in the last 25 meets with Peru State. Last season, the two schools also only played once with Benedictine earning a 71-64 win in Peru, Neb., on Feb. 3.
Tip-Off: (25) Benedictine returns home for the first time since Dec. 11. Since last playing inside the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium, the Ravens have posted a 2-2 mark with their most recent loss to No. 15 Central Methodist University on Monday, 67-51. The Ravens are 6-1 at home so far this season where they are averaging 76.3 ppg while limiting opponents to 52.6. ... Entering playing with the Bobcats, the Ravens lead the Heart in scoring defense. Through 15 games, the Ravens have limited their opponents to just 52.7 points per game. They also rank third in field goal defense through 15 games, limiting opponents to 34.0 percent from the floor. ... Under second-year head coach Ian Holleran, the Bobcats currently sit in third place in the Heart North standings behind (16) Clarke and Grand View who are both 5-0 in Heart play. The Bobcats are ranked fifth in scoring, averaging 70.8 points through 14 games. ... Natalie Smaron is closing in on the 1,000 point scoring mark. She has scored 142 points in 15 games this season for the Ravens to run her career total to 950 points. She enters player with the Bobcats averaging 9.5 points per game, but has scored in double figures in 8 of her 15 games with a season-high 21 against MNU on Dec. 4. ... Peru State has a very balanced scoring attack this season with four players scoring over 11 points per game. They are led by Lycia Perry at 12.8 per game. She has started in 11 of 13 games for the Bobcats, but did not start in the Bobcats loss on Dec. 11 to Grand View. ... Six current Bobcats were on the roster a season ago for second-year head coach Ian Holleran. Four of tonight's projected starters return from last season with just two players off the bench. ... The loss on Monday marked the first loss to open January for the program in their last five seasons. Over the previous five seasons, the Ravens have only one losing January which came during the 2019-20 season. They went 10-0 in January during the 2016-17 season.
Up Next: Benedictine hits the road for the start of a three-game road swing as they are scheduled to travel to Lamoni, Iowa, on Saturday to take on Graceland University. Peru State returns home to take on Evangel University.
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