Behind a 40-point second half, the Raven (8-1) women's basketball team earned a solid come-from-behind victory on Tuesday night over NAIA Div. II preseason No. 23 College of St. Mary.
Trailing 50-46 at the half and by 15 points in the second half, Benedictine (8-1) converted 16 of 36 from the field in the second half while holding CSM (5-2) to just 7 of 25 from the field to earn a 86-82 win.
CSM used a 52.9 percent shooting effort from beyond the arc in the first half to build as much as a 14-point lead over Benedictine.
The Ravens closed the half on a 12-3 run that erased their double digit effort to a more manageable four-point halftime deficit.
The Flames started the second half with a run of their own that allowed them to push back ahead by double figures.
Benedictine largest deficit was 15 points with just under 16 minutes remaining in the game.
From that point, the Ravens stepped up their defensive pressure, which allowed time for guard Justice Payne (Jr., Stillwater, Okla.) to heat up from beyond the 3-point arc.
Payne back-to-back 3-pointers which pulled the Ravens within two points with just over six minutes remaining in the game.
Liz Stinson (Sr., Stilwell) capped off the comeback effort to tie the game at 74 points.
After two more ties and two lead changes, the Ravens took the lead for good when Stinson converted a basket off a turnover with 90 seconds remaining in the game.
Benedictine held CSM scoreless from the field over the final three minutes of the game which allowed them to earn the win.
CSM went 3 for 7 from the charity stripe over that time period while Benedictine scored on a 3-pointer from forward Jade Reed (RsFr., Topeka) and a free throw from guard Jackie Ziesel (Soph., St. Joseph) to preserve the win.
Benedictine had five players reach double figures led by Stinson's 18 points. Guard Kelsey Anselmi (Sr., Olathe) added 17 points while forward Erin Murphy (Sr., Olathe) scored 13. Payne and Ziesel finished with 12 points each.
CSM was led in scoring by the game-high 24 points of guard Thresa Elworth.
The Ravens return to action on Sunday with a trip to NCAA Div. III Grinnel (Iowa) College. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
