On Saturday, both of the Ravens men’s and women’s basketball teams were victorious in their first round matchups in the HCAC Basketball Tournament. Both teams had home court with the men being the 2-seed, and the women being the 3-seed.
The women’s basketball team defeated Rose-Hulman 75-68 in a nailbiting game. While the men’s team dominated their game, winning 103-89 over the Bluffton Beavers.
WOMENS
Rose-Hulman embraced the underdog mentality to start the game. They controlled the whole first half, leading 17-13 after the first quarter and 38-32 at the end of the second quarter. Facing potentially the last collegiate game of their career, coach Jon Gin mentioned the seniors stepping up and leading into the second half. “They made sure we were together,” said Gin.
In the second half, Rose-Hulman jumped out to a double-digit lead. The Ravens would then storm back and tie the game late in the third with an Izzy Davis steal and score. AU took their first lead since 4-2 in the first quarter with seven minutes left in the game. With time winding down, senior Victoria Detraz stepped up grabbing rebound after rebound. To cap off an amazing second half, Detraz took the final lead with less than a minute remaining on two clutch free throws. At the buzzer, the Ravens won 75-68.
Leading in scoring was Detraz with 19 points, she recorded a double-double with 14 rebounds as well. Bella Larrison had an impressive 17, she also recorded a double-double with 13 rebounds. Izzy Davis had 13 points and 8 rebounds, and Sydney Sierota had 12 points with 6 assists. Other scorers were Paige Williamson (8), Lauren Smith (4), and Ashley Pate (2). The Ravens shot 36.6% from the field with a little bit of a down game from three, with 20%. The Ravens crucially out-rebounded Rose-Hulman 50-42.
The Ravens will move on to play 2-seed Franklin on Friday at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY. “Now we’re the underdogs,” said coach Gin. They split the series in the regular season both winning at their home courts, so this is a true test of the better team with the game being at a neutral site.
MENS
After a thrilling women’s game, the men’s team used the energy of the Anderson home crowd to elevate a hot start in the first half. Bryce Williams, Will Jamison, and Nolan Swan all nailed threes early to give the Ravens an early lead. The Ravens kept scoring throughout the whole first half, putting up a season-high, 57 points, and the end of one.
Into the second half the momentum kept rolling with Elijah Mattingly getting hot. At the ten minute mark, the Ravens already had 80 points. The lead shrinkened towards the end of the game after Bluffton hit multiple threes, but the damage was already done. The Ravens moved onto the second round with a 103-89 win.
Elijah Mattingly once again recorded a near triple-double with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists. He is playing the best basketball of his career at the perfect time. Nolan Swan had 22 points and Bryce Williams had a stout 20. Williams was 4-5 from three-point range. Other notable scorers were DeMonte Ferguson (18), Kenny Troutman (12), and Will Jamison (11). The Ravens made an unreal 15 threes, shooting 41.7% from behind the arc. They also shot 52.9% from the field, which is extremely impressive. The Ravens have scored 90 or more points in three straight games, and have now won eight straight.
The red-hot Ravens will also head to Transylvania University to face Rose-Hulman on Friday. They split the series in the regular season with both teams winning on the road. The Ravens look to clinch a spot in the HCAC Championship for the fourth-straight year.