CALPAC

[Men's Basketball] Redhawks Advance To Semi-Finals In Cal Pac Tournament

Benedictine Mesa men's basketball defeated the University of Antelope Valley in the first round of the California Pacific Conference tournament on Sunday, 75-70. This is the second consecutive season in which Benedictine Mesa men's basketball will have secured at least one post-season victory. With the win, the Redhawks advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament and are 1 game away from qualifying for the NAIA national tournament. Senior Jay Small led the Redhawks with a stellar scoring performance. Small finished with 25 points on 7-12 from the field, 4-8 from 3-point range. Small also had 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Senior Maurice Walton ended with another double-double, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes. Junior Tre Carolina finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Seniors Stevie James and Justin Parker finished with 9 points each and a combined 13 rebounds. The Redhawks shot 37.9% from the field and 32% from beyond the arc. The Redhawks struggled in the first half from the foul line but went 14-17 from the charity stripe in the second half. Benedictine Mesa outrebounded the Pioneers 50-40 and had 13 assists on 22 field goals made. The Redhawks will face the 2nd seed Simpson University Red Hawks in the semi-finals at 8:30pm MST. In their first matchup this season on January 30, Benedictine Mesa came away with an 82-56 victory. The game can be streamed live here.