The Benedictine Mesa Men's Basketball team concluded their impressive season with a 55-62 loss to UC Merced in game one of the Cal Pac tournament. Tanner Crawford opened the scoring for the Redhawks with a layup in the paint, but Merced took the lead until the 14:10 mark when Eric Norton's free throw regained the lead for Benedictine. The Redhawks extended their lead to 11 points at its peak, but Merced made a comeback at the 3:11 mark, leading to a halftime score of 30-34 with the Redhawks trailing by 4.

Entering the second half down by 6 points, BenU fought back to tie the game at 37-37. Although Merced regained the lead, Benedictine managed to tie the game again at 46-46. However, Merced pulled ahead once more, leading 48-46. The Redhawks fought hard, narrowing the lead to 3 points by the 2:07 mark. In an attempt to regain possession, BenU resorted to fouling, but Merced capitalized on free throws. Despite their efforts, the Redhawks couldn't reduce the deficit and ultimately fell 55-62.

Key Players:
- Quincy Reece led the team with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals.
- Damian Zivak contributed 11 points and 2 rebounds.
- Eric Norton showcased a well-rounded performance with 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and one block.

The Redhawks' season concludes after a series of battles and losses, marked by tremendous effort and resilience throughout their journey.