At the NAIA Opening Round hosted by Nelson University, the Benedictine Mesa men's basketball team delivered a gritty, defensive-driven performance capped by a clutch final-minute three from Malik Payton, securing a 61–58 win over Southwestern and punching their ticket to the next round.

First Half 
The opening minutes set the tone for what would become a defensive battle. After Southwestern opened the game with a layup, Khari Dunn answered with a smooth jumper, and the Redhawks immediately began forcing chaos. Eric Blackwell was everywhere early—swiping two quick steals that led to transition opportunities, including his own layup to make it 4–2.

Benedictine's defense continued to disrupt Southwestern. Turnovers piled up for the Moundbuilders, and the Redhawks capitalized. Isaiah Howard, controlling pace and the defensive glass, knocked down a mid-range jumper before assisting Antione Anderson, Jr. on a three that pushed BenU ahead 14–11.

With Southwestern briefly regaining momentum, Benedictine responded with one of its best offensive stretches of the half. Payton buried a three, Anderson followed with another, and Dunn knocked down a jumper off a perfect feed from Luis Marin, making it 22–20.

The Redhawks continued to apply pressure—Marin and Blackwell each scored in transition, and Payton drilled his second three of the half to give Benedictine a 29–27 lead. Howard added a free throw, and the Redhawks entered halftime up 31–27, closing the half on a 7–0 run fueled by defensive rebounds and steals.

Second Half 
The Redhawks opened the second half exactly as they ended the first: attacking on both ends. Dunn scored immediately, followed by a steal and coast-to-coast finish from Howard. Payton added another layup, stretching the lead to 37–29.
Howard continued to dominate early in the half, scoring eight points in the first four minutes, including an assisted layup from Dunn that made it 39–29—their largest lead of the night.

But Southwestern refused to go away. Zach Hildago sparked a counterpunch, scoring inside and igniting a run that slowly chipped into the Redhawk lead.

Down the Stretch
With Benedictine still ahead 44–40, the teams exchanged baskets before Southwestern's Austin Hilton knocked down consecutive threes to suddenly swing the game in the Moundbuilders' favor, 49–48. Benedictine answered through Marin, who hit a mid-range jumper and later added a layup to tie the game at 58–58.

Both teams tightened defensively, with Aiden Olmstead delivering a critical block and rebound sequence inside the final two minutes.

Final Minute
With the clock winding under :30 and the game tied 58–58, Benedictine called timeout to draw up their best look of the night. Out of the huddle, the ball found Howard, who drove right and kicked to Payton on the wing.

With 10 seconds left, Payton buried a cold-blooded three, silencing Southwestern's section and putting the Redhawks up 61–58.

Southwestern advanced the ball and called timeout, but Benedictine's defense held strong. Evan Barber launched a contested three at the horn, and Howard rose up to swat it away, sealing the victory.