Benedictine Mesa Men's Basketball faced a tough challenge in their GSAC season opener, falling to fourth-ranked Arizona Christian University, 63-94.
First Half: The game began with Benedictine establishing a strong momentum, with Deven Franks scoring to tie the game at 2-2. Arizona Christian's Anthony Howell quickly regained the lead with a layup, but the teams exchanged baskets, leading to a competitive matchup. By the 16-minute mark, Howell's contributions helped Arizona Christian take a 6-9 lead.
Benedictine fought back, tying the game at 10-10 after forcing turnovers. Malik Payton's steal and layup, followed by a free throw, put Benedictine ahead, 13-10. Payton continued to excel, contributing another steal and layup to extend the lead to 17-10. After a timeout, Ramirez's three-pointer pushed the score to 26-12, setting a strong tone for Benedictine.
As the half progressed, both teams intensified the pace, with Arizona Christian narrowing the gap. Despite a late rally from Benjamin Ramirez with two three-pointers, Arizona Christian led 43-39 at halftime.
Second Half: The second half started competitively, with Howell extending Arizona Christian's lead to 39-45. Despite efforts from Jack Busenhart and Deven Foster to close the gap, Arizona Christian maintained their advantage with strong scoring from Dunkley and Chukwu.
Benedictine battled hard, with Payton's three-pointer bringing the score to 45-55, but Arizona Christian quickly responded to extend their lead. As the game progressed, Arizona Christian's consistent scoring sealed their victory, finishing at 63-94.
Key Players:
Looking Ahead: Benedictine Mesa will return to action on Thursday, January 9, as they travel to California to face Hope International, aiming to bounce back from this challenging opener.
