DUBUQUE, Iowa – Benedictine Women's Basketball held Clarke University to a season-low 4 3-pointers on Saturday afternoon en route to knocking off the No. 4-ranked Pride 62-61.
The win by the Ravens ends a 16-game, season-long win streak by the Pride. It also ends the Pride's 22-game winning streak that started with an Opening Round win of the 2023 NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament.
The Ravens led wire-to-wire, playing through three ties in the first quarter but never giving up the lead. The defense was key for the Ravens throughout the game. During each quarter, the Ravens were able to hold the Pride scoreless for periods between two and three minutes which allowed them to maintain the lead. They finished the game with 14 points off 8 turnovers and held a significant advantage in points off turnovers until the fourth quarter.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Jose Weishaar allowed Benedictine to take a 20-11 lead after the first quarter. The Ravens also took advantage of forced turnovers in the first quarter, scoring 8 points off 4 turnovers.
Clarke made the first basket of the second quarter, snapping a two-minute scoreless drought but despite that start, the Ravens were able to answer using a 7-0 run that kicked off by a 3-pointer from Kennedy Nicholson to pull ahead by as much as 11 points in the quarter. The Pride battled back to use a run of their own, 11-2, to pull back within 2 points despite being held scoreless from the floor over the final 3 minutes of the half. Clarke hit four straight free throws before Alleigh Kramer connected on a 3-pointer to send the game into halftime with the Ravens up 34-29.
In the third quarter, the foul differential would start to show. Clarke went 6 of 11 at the free throw line while the Ravens didn't get a chance to shoot any free throws. The first foul of the quarter against the Pride came with just over 2 minutes remaining in the quarter.
After Clarke scored a 3-pointer to close within three points of Benedictine with 3:28 remaining in the quarter, the Pride would go cold from the floor, scoring just two more points from the field over the rest of the quarter as Benedictine led 49-42 headed to the fourth quarter.
Aaliyah Raines would help provide the offensive spark in the fourth quarter as the Ravens pushed for the upset. Raines scored 8 of her team-high 16 points in the quarter which proved to be too much for the Pride to overcome.
Benedictine finished the game with a 46-28 advantage on the boards setting a new season high in rebounds and rebound margin at 18. The Ravens also finished with 18 points off the bench, which also proved to play a factor as the Ravens went deeper into their bench than the Pride.
Nicholson joined Raines in double figures with 11, hitting 3 of Benedictine's 6 3-pointers while Nicole Storck added 10 points off the bench hitting all of Benedictine's free throws as she went 4 of 5.
Benedictine returns home for their second season meeting with CMU on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. inside the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium. The Eagles beat the Ravens 69-57 in their first meeting of the season on Nov. 29 in Fayette, Mo.
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