In a defining moment for the program,
#22 Benedictine Mesa delivered a statement win over
#15 Carroll College, rolling to a
102-80 victory just hours after earning their first-ever NAIA national ranking.
First Half:
Benedictine Mesa wasted no time proving they belonged among the nation's elite.
Malik Payton opened the scoring with a layup, followed by a deep three from
Isaiah Howard to make it 5-0.
Damian Zivak added another triple, and the Redhawks surged ahead 8-2. Carroll responded with buckets from
Lorence Dela Cruz and
Kellen Harrison, who hit back-to-back threes to tie the game at 10-10.
The Saints briefly led after an
Isaiah Crane layup, but Howard answered with a scoring burst, including a deep three and a driving finish. Payton's three-pointer and
Luis Marin's layup extended the lead and then came the turning point—
Antione Anderson drilled two threes in less than a minute, sparking a 12-0 run. Benedictine Mesa closed the half with Howard's free throws and a buzzer-beating jumper to take a commanding
50-32 lead into the break.
Second Half:
Carroll tried to chip away early, but the Redhawks responded with authority. Zivak opened the half with a three, Payton finished a strong drive, and Howard buried another triple to push the margin past 20.
Kamron Robinson and Marin added layups, while
Khari Dunn dominated inside with a series of buckets that stretched the lead to 79-54 midway through the half.
Howard punctuated the performance with a highlight-reel dunk, and Payton added a late three to seal the deal. The Redhawks' depth shined as the bench contributed down the stretch, pushing the final score to
102-80.
Key Performers
Looking Ahead: The Redhawks return to the court on December 29th as they head to NAU to play in an exhibition.
