OLATHE – The MNU Pioneers connected on 62.5 percent from the floor in the second half to erase a 34-33 deficit to Men's Basketball.
MNU outscored Benedictine 43-29 in the second half as they held the Ravens to one second-half 3-pointer as they earned a 76-63 win over Benedictine.
The first half saw two runs offensively. MNU struck first, jumping ahead by as much as an eight-point lead midway through the half. Benedictine worked their way back into the game, sparked by attacking the basket. A 3-pointer from Saxton Thuston gave the Ravens their first lead of the half with five minutes remaining before halftime. Six lead changes and four ties later, Jaiden Bristol hit a basket in the final seconds of the half to give Benedictine a 34-33 lead at the break.
The first four minutes of the second half continued as the first half ended. Jayden Temme made the first basket of the half for Benedictine to extend their lead to three points. A five-point swing by MNU gave the lead back to the Pioneers and from there, the game played through three ties with the Ravens never able to pull back ahead. Tyson Cathy pulled the game even at 40 points with 16 minutes remaining before the Pioneers 16-4 run to pull ahead of the Ravens. Benedictine answered that run to close their deficit down to four points on back-to-back baskets from Thuston. Four points was all the closer the Ravens could cut into the Pioneers lead as they pulled back ahead by double figures over the final six minutes of the game.
Four Ravens reached double figures as Bristol and Matt Austin scored 12 points each. Thuston scored 11 points off the bench while Temme added 10 points. Benedictine finished the game shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe shooting just two free throws in the second half.
Benedictine returns home for two of their next three, hosting Baker University at 4 p.m. Saturday for Senior Day – which will be held with the Women between games – and Missouri Valley on Feb. 16. They close out the regular season on Feb. 19 in Parkville, Mo., against Park University.
