Despite a resilient second-half surge and multiple late-game defensive stands, Benedictine Mesa came up just four points shy in a hard-fought 64–60 loss to Life Pacific.

First Half:
The Redhawks opened the game with an intense defensive presence. Kamron Robinson, Malik Payton, and the Benedictine frontcourt set the tone early with three blocks in the opening two minutes, denying Life Pacific clean looks at the rim.

Robinson got the Redhawks on the board with a pair of free throws at 17:47, giving Benedictine a 2–0 lead. Moments later, Isaiah Howard buried a three to tie the score at 5–5—one of several timely shots he would deliver throughout the night.

Life Pacific responded with a string of tough finishes, but Benedictine stayed composed. Robinson powered in a layup off a Howard feed at 13:41, keeping the Redhawks within striking distance at 11–9.

As both teams tightened defensively, Benedictine continued forcing turnovers—six by the midpoint of the half—but struggled to capitalize consistently. Still, standout defensive moments, including blocks from Robinson and Payton, kept the game within reach.

Late in the half, Damian Zivak's deep three at 1:52 gave Benedictine a much-needed boost, cutting the deficit to 34–25. Howard and Eric Blackwell added crucial buckets and free throws, helping the Redhawks trim the margin to single digits.
Robinson sank two free throws at 00:35 to close the gap to 29–35 before Life Pacific added one more late layup, sending the Redhawks into halftime trailing 37–29.

Second Half:
Benedictine opened the second half determined to erase the deficit, and Robinson set the tone at the line once again, knocking down two free throws at 18:07.

After a brief Life Pacific run pushed the deficit back to double digits, Benedictine started to swing the momentum. A three-pointer from Blackwell at 15:43 electrified the bench and trimmed the score to 41–38.

Minutes later, the Redhawks delivered the play of the game:
Luis Marin picked off a pass, sprinted the floor, and hammered home a two-handed dunk, bringing the crowd to its feet and cutting the gap to 42–40.

Robinson then tied the game at 42–42 on a strong layup inside at 13:29—Benedictine's first tie since the early minutes.

Moments later, Blackwell drained another three, this one assisted by Marin, pushing Benedictine ahead 45–42 and giving the Redhawks all the momentum.

Howard continued the surge with a transition layup at 12:10, and Marin finished another strong drive at 11:18. The Redhawks led by as many as seven (49–42) as their defense smothered Life Pacific throughout the middle portion of the half.

Final Minutes:
Life Pacific began clawing back, but the Redhawks refused to go away. Zivak buried a three at 9:09 to push the lead to 52–43, but Life Pacific responded with perimeter shooting of its own to close the gap.

With the lead shrinking, Benedictine's defense stepped up—Payton delivered three steals in the final two minutes, fueling the Redhawks' late push.

Down 59–56, Payton drove hard to the rim, finishing a clutch layup with 1:54 remaining.

Moments later, after another Payton steal, Marin finished through contact at 1:30 to put Benedictine back in front 60–59—a roaring comeback nearly completed.

But Life Pacific answered with a deep three from Mac West at 00:51, nudging the Warriors ahead 62–60.

The Redhawks fought to the final whistle, forcing multiple turnovers in the closing minute, but couldn't get key free throws or contested layups to fall. A pair of Life Pacific free throws with no time on the clock sealed the narrow defeat.

Key Players:

• Eric Blackwell: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
• Kamron Robinson: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
• Isaiah Howard: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steal

Looking Ahead: The Redhawks are back on the court on Saturday, January 24^th as they take on The Master's on the road.