OLATHE – MNU took advantage of 19 turnovers from the Raven Women's Basketball team on Wednesday night to hand Benedictine their third straight loss for the first time this season.
The Pioneers were able to score 21 points off Raven turnovers en route to a 60-54 win inside the Cook Center on the MNU campus.
The two teams traded the scoring advantage of the first two quarters. MNU held a two-point advantage after the first quarter, 13-11, before Benedictine took over the scoring advantage, 13-11, in the second quarter to send the game into halftime tied.
The lead changed hands three times over the first three minutes of the third quarter. Natalie Smaron scored a basket 66 seconds into the quarter to give Benedictine a brief lead, it would prove to be their only lead of the second half. The Pioneers answered the basket by Smaron with a 10-0 run that pushed their lead to 9 points and extended that lead to as much as 12 points before the fourth quarter.
Benedictine outscored MNU 15-12 over the final 10 minutes of play. A 3-pointer from Ali Brzozowski cut the Ravens deficit down to two points midway through the fourth quarter. MNU answered to keep Benedictine's at arm's length before Kennedy Nicholson cut the Ravens deficit down to two points again with 58 seconds remaining. That was all the closer Benedictine would get as MNU was able to hit four free throws in the final 15 seconds to keep their lead over the Ravens.
Smaron led the Ravens with a double-double, scoring 17 points and pulling in 11 rebounds. Washington finished with 14 points followed by Brzozowski with 10. Nicholson finished with just 2 points but pulled in a game-high 12 rebounds.
The Ravens return home for two of their next three games. They host Baker University at 2 p.m. Saturday as they will celebrate Senior Day with the Men between games and they host Missouri Valley on Feb. 16 before ending the regular season on Feb. 19 in Parkville, Mo., against Park University.
