In a game defined by defensive intensity and momentum swings, Benedictine Mesa used a strong second-half surge and clutch free-throw shooting to defeat Park-Gilbert, 68–56, on Saturday night.
First Quarter:
Both teams opened cold from the field, trading turnovers and rebounds before
Olivia Arvallo broke the seal for Benedictine Mesa with a three-pointer at the 8:17 mark. Park-Gilbert answered behind Alynna Palacios, who hit two free throws and later scored on a layup to give the Buccaneers a brief 4–3 lead.
The Redhawks responded with a 7–0 run fueled by
Alannah Northam's three-pointer and
Alexia Wilcox's and-one in transition, pushing the margin to 11–4. Park-Gilbert closed the quarter strong with buckets from Jelissa Julmist and Kiley Bush, trimming the deficit to
13–10.
Second Quarter:
Park-Gilbert tied the game at 13–13 on an Allie Cummings three-pointer early in the second, but Benedictine Mesa regained control behind
Kira Nowell and Northam, who combined for key baskets to make it 17–13. Arvallo's layup and Northam's deep three extended the lead to 22–15.
The Buccaneers fought back with Eriana Begay sinking two free throws and Julmist adding a jumper, but Benedictine Mesa carried a
23–19 advantage into halftime.
Third Quarter:
Hemani Kalia sparked Park-Gilbert's comeback bid, drilling three triples in the third quarter to pull the Buccaneers within two at 28–30. However, Benedictine Mesa countered with relentless paint scoring from Northam, Nowell, and Lepe, while Arvallo orchestrated the offense with timely assists.
Despite layups from Julmist and Valencia Hayley, the Redhawks closed the quarter on a 10–4 run, capped by Wilcox's buzzer-beater jumper, to take a
48–38 lead into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter:
Park-Gilbert opened the final frame with energy—Cummings hit a three and Kalia added a layup to cut the gap to 43–48. But Benedictine Mesa answered immediately with Lepe's layup and Arvallo's mid-range jumper. Arvallo then delivered the dagger, hitting a three at 4:31 and scoring off a steal in the final minute.
The Buccaneers made one last push behind Kalia's late three (54–59), but turnovers and missed free throws proved costly. Benedictine Mesa closed the game at the stripe, with Elliott and Arvallo combining for eight points in the final two minutes to secure the
68–56 victory.
Key Players:
Looking Ahead: The Redhawks are back on the court on January 8th as they take on La Sierra on the road.
