Benedictine Mesa fought through four quarters but was unable to overcome a strong second-half push from Arizona Christian, falling 70–53 on Thursday night.
The Redhawks opened the game with strong defensive energy, holding Arizona Christian scoreless for the first several minutes outside of an early layup.
Shyla Moore and
Naomi Elliott helped Benedictine Mesa settle in offensively, and
Olivia Arvallo's scoring kept the Redhawks within striking distance. After trailing early, Benedictine Mesa closed the first quarter on a late run to pull even at 15–15.
Arizona Christian found momentum in the second quarter, capitalizing on turnovers and knocking down perimeter shots. Benedictine Mesa continued to generate second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass but struggled to convert consistently. Elliott and Moore provided scoring to keep the Redhawks close, yet Arizona Christian closed the half with a late surge to take a 34–25 lead into the break.
Coming out of halftime, Benedictine Mesa showed resilience. Arvallo, Elliott, and
Alexia Wilcox combined to apply pressure inside, while the Redhawks forced several turnovers to slow Arizona Christian's rhythm. Despite those efforts, Arizona Christian answered with timely three-pointers and free throws to maintain its advantage. Benedictine Mesa trimmed the deficit at times, but the Firestorm carried a 50–45 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Redhawks continued to compete in the final period, with Elliott finishing inside and Moore contributing on both ends of the floor. However, Arizona Christian took control midway through the quarter, stringing together stops and converting in transition. Benedictine Mesa battled on the glass and at the free-throw line but was unable to cut the deficit to single digits late.
Key Players:
Looking Ahead: The Redhawks are back on the court on Thursday, February 5
th as they take on La Sierra at home.
