The Benedictine Mesa women's basketball team opened the 2026-27 season with a 76-71 victory over Bushnell on Wednesday night at the PEC. The Redhawks led for nearly the entire contest, building an 18-point advantage in the third quarter before holding off a late Bushnell rally to secure the season-opening win.Â
After falling behind 3-0 in the opening minute, Benedictine responded with a 21-13 first quarter behind balanced scoring from Alannah Northam, Leanna Lepe, and Olivia Arvallo. The Redhawks continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, outscoring the Beacons 26-15 while shooting over 55 percent from the field in the period. Arvallo took control offensively, scoring 14 points in the second quarter alone as Benedictine carried a 47-31 lead into halftime.Â
The Redhawks pushed their lead to 18 points midway through the third quarter when Leanna Lepe knocked down a three-pointer to make it 53-35. Bushnell answered with a run of its own, trimming the deficit to 11 points entering the fourth quarter.Â
Bushnell continued to chip away in the final ten minutes, getting strong performances from Clara Persons and Ellis Mastel. The Beacons cut the margin to four points on multiple occasions, but key free throws from Northam and Kanzas Mills, along with a late steal and assist from Arvallo that led to an Alexia Wilcox layup with 31 seconds remaining, helped seal the victory.Â
Arvallo led all Redhawks with 20 points while adding seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. Northam filled the stat sheet with 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Lepe contributed 15 points off the bench, and Wilcox added eight points and four rebounds. Sofia Gagnier chipped in eight points and six rebounds as the Redhawks finished with 18 assists on 24 made field goals.
