Benedictine Mesa showed resilience and heart in a hard-fought battle against Hope International, but a late comeback effort wasn't enough as the Redhawks fell 70-62 on Saturday.

1^st Quarter:
The Redhawks struggled to find their rhythm in the opening quarter, scoring just four points while Hope International jumped out to a 14-4 lead. Shyla Moore provided the lone spark for Benedictine Mesa with an early jumper, but missed opportunities and turnovers allowed the Royals to control the pace.

2^nd Quarter: 
Benedictine Mesa began to settle in during the second quarter. Alexia Wilcox hit a layup and later buried a three-pointer to energize the offense, while Olivia Arvallo and Alannah Northam added key buckets to cut the deficit to 25-14. Despite the improved effort, Hope answered with timely shooting and entered halftime ahead 30-19.

3^rd Quarter: 
The Redhawks came out aggressive after the break. Moore scored inside, and Wilcox knocked down another three to pull within eight at 32-24. Leanna Lepe and Naomi Elliott chipped in with baskets as Benedictine Mesa continued to fight. Wilcox's second three of the period and a jumper from Northam brought the Redhawks as close as 33-42 late in the quarter. However, Hope responded with a clutch three from Nicole Chuang and a layup from Dre Javier to maintain a 49-41 lead heading into the fourth.

4^th Quarter:
Benedictine Mesa made its strongest push in the final frame. Lepe converted a three-point play and Wilcox stayed hot, hitting a jumper and a deep three to cut the margin to 53-57 with just over five minutes remaining. Arvallo then took over, drilling two late threes and completing a three-point play to bring the Redhawks within three at 62-65 with 36 seconds left. But Hope International closed the game at the free-throw line, as Amira Austin scored a layup and sank four free throws in the final seconds to seal the 70-62 win.

Key Players: 

• Olivia Arvallo: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists
• Alexia Arvallo: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
• Shyla Moore: 8 points, 14 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal

Looking Ahead: The Redhawks are back on the court on Thursday, January 15^th as they take on Life Pacific at home.