Benedictine Mesa showed grit and determination but couldn't overcome Northern New Mexico's hot shooting and second-half surge, falling 69-55 in a competitive matchup.
First Quarter:
The Redhawks started slowly, missing early opportunities as Northern New Mexico jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
Shyla Moore broke the scoring drought with a layup at the 6:11 mark, and
Olivia Arvallo gave Benedictine Mesa its first lead with a deep three-pointer midway through the quarter. After falling behind late, Arvallo struck again with a clutch three in the final seconds, trimming the deficit to 20-14.
Second Quarter:
Benedictine Mesa continued to battle in the second frame, with
Naomi Elliott knocking down a jumper and
Aaliyah Garcia hitting a big three-pointer to keep the Redhawks within reach. Despite strong rebounding efforts and defensive stops, Northern New Mexico's perimeter shooting stretched the lead to 34-25 at halftime.
Third Quarter:
The Redhawks came out aggressive after the break, sparked by Elliott and
Alannah Northam, who combined for key baskets to cut the deficit to just two points at 40-38.
Olivia Arvallo added timely assists during the run, and Benedictine Mesa's defense forced turnovers to create momentum. However, Northern New Mexico responded with a decisive run led by Jayden Jenkins, who hit back-to-back threes to push the lead back to double digits. The Redhawks entered the fourth trailing 52-42.
Fourth Quarter:
Benedictine Mesa continued to fight in the final period. Arvallo drilled a three-pointer early, and Northam added a deep shot to keep hope alive. Moore and Elliott chipped in with mid-range jumpers, but every Redhawks rally was met with an answer from Northern New Mexico. Despite forcing turnovers and crashing the boards late, Benedictine Mesa couldn't close the gap. A pair of free throws from Lopez sealed the game for the Eagles, and the Redhawks fell 69-55.
Key Players:
Looking Ahead: The Redhawks are back on the court on Wednesday, December 17
th as they take on no. 17 Rocky Mountain at home.
