Benedictine Mesa saw a late advantage slip away in a 77–74 GSAC Conference Championship thriller against The Master's on Monday night. The Redhawks delivered a disciplined, energetic performance on both ends of the floor, but a late Mustang surge proved to be the difference in a game that came down to the final possession.

First Half – Benedictine Controls the Game
From the opening tip, the Redhawks set the tone with tough defense and efficient offense. After a brief 2–0 deficit, Benedictine found its rhythm quickly. Khari Dunn got on the board early with a jumper to tie things at 4–4, and a strong take by Malik Payton put the Redhawks in front for the first time at 6–4.

From there, Benedictine began to impose its will.

Eric Blackwell muscled in a layup at 15:35, and moments later, Damian Zivak buried a three from the wing to extend the lead to 11–6. The Redhawks continued to move the ball with confidence, getting another deep strike—this time from Luis Marin—to push the margin to 14–12.

Then came the Redhawks' breakout stretch.

A flurry of defensive stops, transition baskets, and aggressive drives extended the Benedictine lead into double digits. Payton delivered the highlight sequence of the half with a steal and an and-one finish at 5:03, helping stretch the lead to 29–21. Zivak stayed hot from beyond the arc, knocking down three first-half triples, including a smooth shot with :47 left to send the Redhawks into halftime rolling with a 40–27 advantage.

Second Half – Redhawks Weather the Storm
Benedictine opened the second half the same way it ended the first—attacking. Dunn's jumper and an Isaiah Howard mid-range shot pushed the lead to 44–27, the largest of the night. For a moment, it appeared the Redhawks might run away with it.

But The Master's countered with a run of their own, fueled by second-chance points and perimeter shooting. Gradually, the Mustang offense found a rhythm, trimming the deficit to single digits by the 15-minute mark.
Still, Benedictine held firm.

Howard powered through traffic for a layup at 15:15 to restore a 10-point lead, and the Redhawks continued to generate quality looks out of their half-court sets. But as the Mustang pressure increased, the game shifted into a possession-by-possession battle.

A series of threes from The Master's—most notably from Quincy Phillips—tightened the game. A pair of technical free throws followed by a Phillips three at 10:23 allowed the Mustangs to seize their first lead since the opening minutes, 55–54.
Yet the Redhawks answered.

Howard and Payton combined to retake the lead at 58–55, and Dunn drilled a massive three from the top of the key with 3:18 left to pull Benedictine within one at 69–68.

Final Minute – A Fight to the Finish
Down 73–72 with under a minute remaining, Benedictine went right back to its interior strength. Dunn drove and finished through contact with :45 on the clock, bringing the Redhawks within one possession at 75–72.

After a Mustang jumper pushed the deficit to three, Howard calmly stepped to the line and knocked down two pressure-packed free throws with :22 remaining to cut it to 75–74.

The Redhawks got the stop they needed when The Master's missed a free throw at :16—setting up a final chance to steal the win. But a contested jumper from Dunn in the closing seconds bounced off, and the Mustangs secured the rebound. Two final Mustang free throws with one second left set the final score at 77–74.