The Benedictine Mesa Women's Basketball team fell short against Simpson University on Thursday night, losing 60-66.
Nyah Henderson opened the scoring for Benedictine with a jumper, but Simpson responded with a 7-point run. Despite fouls by Simpson and successful free throws by the Redhawks, BenU trailed by just one point at the end of the first quarter, with the score 14-15 in favor of Simpson.
Raenesha Willis' jumper at the start of the second quarter gave Benedictine the lead, but both teams traded the lead back and forth. By halftime, Simpson held a slim lead of 34-33.
In the third quarter, BenU briefly took the lead thanks to a jumper by
Boo Zeller, but Simpson regained control and maintained it. Although Benedictine tied the game multiple times, they ended the quarter behind 46-49.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Redhawks managed to tie the game at 50-50, but Simpson pulled ahead with 4:20 remaining. Despite efforts to catch up, Benedictine resorted to fouling to regain possession, but Simpson's success at the free-throw line secured their victory, with the final score at 60-66.
Key Players:
- Raenesha Willis led the team with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal.
- Alize Ruiz contributed 17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 1 steal.
- Nyah Henderson recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Looking Ahead:
The Redhawks will play their final away game against UC Merced on Saturday, February 17th at 6:30 PM MST.
