The Benedictine Mesa men's basketball team saved its best performance of the season for when it mattered most, defeating Hope International 86–75 in the NAIA Tournament Quarterfinals and advancing to the national semifinals for the first time in program history. After dropping both regular-season matchups to the Royals, the Redhawks flipped the narrative with toughness, composure, and a late-game surge that sealed a milestone victory
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Hope opened the game aggressively, knocking down early threes to build a quick lead, but Benedictine answered immediately.
Isaiah Howard matched Hope's opening triple with one of his own, and
Khari Dunn began to establish himself with a series of strong finishes, giving the Redhawks their first early rhythm. Hope continued to score from deep, but Benedictine countered with balanced production—Dunn hitting mid-range jumpers, Howard attacking the glass, and
Damian Zivak trading threes to keep the game tight.
Midway through the first half, Hope pushed ahead by as many as eight, capitalizing on offensive rebounds and second-chance points. But the Redhawks refused to let the game slip. A crucial stretch began with
Malik Payton drilling a three off a kick-out from Jack Busenhart, cutting the deficit to one. Moments later, Zivak splashed another three, Dunn hit a pull-up jumper, and Howard finished through contact to tie the game at 31–31. With the momentum shifting, Dunn buried a deep three and followed with another jumper to push BenU ahead. Howard then added a dagger from beyond the arc as the Redhawks closed the half on a 12–4 run, taking a 39–35 lead into the break.
Coming out of halftime, both teams traded defensive stops before Hope hit back-to-back threes to claw within two. Benedictine answered with poise: Howard calmly sank two free throws to tie the score at 41, and
Eric Blackwell drilled consecutive threes, each assisted by Howard or Dunn, to stretch the lead back to six. Zivak followed with his fourth three of the night, pushing the advantage to 50–43 and forcing a Hope timeout.
From that point on, the Redhawks took control. Marin scored inside on consecutive possessions, Payton added a strong layup, and Howard caught fire from deep—burying two more threes to ignite the bench and extend the lead to double digits. Every time Hope threatened with a timely three, Benedictine delivered the perfect response: Dunn with a driving finish, Marin scoring in transition, or Howard slicing through the lane for another bucket.
In the final minutes, Hope began firing threes desperately, but the Redhawks closed with maturity. Payton and Dunn secured key rebounds, Howard knocked down four clutch free throws, and Benedictine forced the Royals into low-percentage perimeter shots. With under a minute left, Dunn punctuated the performance with a transition layup off a feed from Marin, pushing the lead to 84–72 and effectively sealing the win.
The final score—
86–75, a decisive revenge statement—reflected Benedictine's poise, balanced scoring, and defensive intensity. Howard led the second-half surge with multiple threes and relentless rebounding. Dunn dictated the offensive pace. Zivak and Blackwell provided perimeter firepower. Marin delivered crucial inside scoring bursts. And as a team, the Redhawks played with the urgency and confidence of a squad determined to extend its season.
With the victory, Benedictine Mesa advances to the
NAIA Tournament Fab Four, rewriting the story against a Hope team that had beaten them twice and proving that the Redhawks are peaking at the perfect time.
