Hot Shooting First Half Boosts Wildcats to 95-86 Win Over Benedictine

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Shooting an astounding 77.8 percent from the field in the first half, the Baker men's basketball team picked up a big win over Benedictine on Thursday evening by a score of 95-86.

Jalen Patterson once again led all scorers in the game, scoring 25 points, while also filling up the stat sheet with five assists and four steals. Braden Wiggs also had a big night, scoring 21 points, while Quentin Harvey added 15 and Noah Rigatuso contributed 14 points.

The Wildcats came out on fire, going 21-of-27 from the field and 8-of-12 from three to shoot a remarkable 77.8 percent in the first 20 minutes. Jalen Patterson, Quentin Harvey, and Braden Wiggs all combined for 35 points in the first half, as they combined to miss just one shot, going 15-16 from the field.

With Baker holding a slim 4-2 lead two minutes into the game, the Wildcats caught fire in front of a hostile crowd, stretching their lead to 22-4 with just over 12 minutes to play in the first half.

Baker continued to add to their lead for the rest of the half and with 8:22 left in the half, a three from Patterson extended the lead to 25 points, 35-10. Benedictine was able to knock down a few shots throughout the final eight minutes of the half, but Baker answered every time as they took a 54-30 lead into the break.

Baker cooled off in the second half, but the Ravens picked it up as Benedictine shot 72.4 percent from the field in the second half, while the Wildcats were just 37 percent.

Early in the second half, the Wildcats held strong with their lead and a big three from Wiggs with 11:07 left in the game gave Baker a 71-50 lead. Over the next five minutes, the Ravens put together a strong 16-4 run and cut the lead to single digits with 6:32 to play, 75-66.

Knocking down some big three-pointers late, the Ravens were able to eventually bring Baker's lead to within five with just 22 seconds left in the game, 91-86. Baker was then able to sink their free throws like they had been all night, closing out the game and giving Baker a 95-86 win.

The Wildcats are now 14-4 on the season and 9-3 in Heart of America play. They will be back inside the Collins Center on Saturday, Jan. 21, when they host Central Methodist at 4 p.m.

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