PERU, Neb. – Peru State College held off a second-half push from Men's Basketball on Wednesday night.
After being limited offensively in the first half, the Ravens held the Bobcats in check and battled back from as much as 17 points before Peru State escaped with a 58-54 win.
Jayden Temme connected on his first 3-pointer of the night to give Benedictine an early lead. That lead would be brief as Benedictine struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the first half. They finished the half at 25 percent from the floor with 7 field goals that included just 2 3-pointers. The Bobcats took advantage late in the half to push ahead by 10 before Benedictine cut the deficit back to single digits at the break.
Benedictine started to heat up in the second half but matched free throws and jumpers with Peru State 3-pointers. That allowed the Bobcats to keep the Ravens at arm's length for much of the half.
Trailing by 17 with 13 minutes in the game, the Ravens stepped up their defensive effort over the remainder of the game. They limited the Bobcats to just 2 field goals over that time frame and a total of 9 points as they mounted their comeback.
Temme connected on another 3-pointer to get the rally started. Ahmad Louis scored 10 of his 13 points over the final 11 minutes of the game while the Ravens continued to get offensive production from Temme and Tyson Cathy from the perimeter and the in the paint. Benedictine outscored Peru State 18-4 in the paint in the second half while also pulling in 7 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points.
The Ravens had the final seconds with a chance to cap off the comeback, but Peru State forced a turnover and then sealed the win at the free throw line with a pair of free throws with 2 seconds remaining.
Temme finished with a game-high 20 points to go along with the 13 from Louis. Cathy added 8 points and 7 rebounds with 2 blocks and a steal. Benedictine finished the game with a 28-16 advantage in the paint with 14 total second-chance points.
Benedictine closes out the season with two of their final three games inside the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium. They host No. 7 William Penn University at 4 p.m. Saturday. They will celebrate Senior Day between games with the Women's Basketball team. Saturday also marks our annual Atchison Heroes Day. All sheriff's deputies, emergency medical technicians, military, police officers, firefighters, and their families are invited to attend both the women's and men's basketball games as we honor your service to the community.
