Benedictine Mesa showcased resilience and clutch execution Thursday night, storming back in the fourth quarter to earn a hard-fought 50-46 victory over Embry-Riddle.

The Redhawks endured a slow start, falling behind 4-0 as Embry-Riddle controlled the boards and converted early chances. Benedictine Mesa stayed aggressive, however, and began to chip away. Naomi Elliott sparked the offense with a mid-range jumper, and Alannah Northam added a layup to tie the game at 4-4. A late surge capped by Leanna Lepe's three-pointer in the closing seconds gave the Redhawks a 13-11 lead after one.

The second quarter was a tug-of-war. Benedictine Mesa briefly extended its lead behind Elliott and Kira Nowell, but Embry-Riddle responded with perimeter shooting and free throws. Despite strong defensive rebounding from Shyla Moore and Alexia Wilcox, the Redhawks trailed 26-23 at halftime.

Coming out of the break, Benedictine Mesa turned up the pressure. Elliott and Wilcox attacked the paint, while Arvallo delivered a momentum-shifting three-pointer at 6:01 to push the Redhawks ahead 36-30. The defense forced multiple turnovers, and Moore's hustle on the glass kept possessions alive. Benedictine Mesa outscored Embry-Riddle 16-9 in the period, seizing a 39-35 lead entering the fourth.

Embry-Riddle briefly regained control early in the final frame, pulling ahead 41-40 and later 44-40 after a three-pointer from Morgan Evenson. But the Redhawks refused to fold. Northam calmly sank two free throws to cut the deficit, and Moore tied the game at 44-44 with a layup at 2:17. Moments later, Elliott converted a fast-break layup off a steal to give Benedictine Mesa a 46-44 edge.

After Embry-Riddle tied it again at 46-46, the Redhawks dominated the final minute. Moore hit two clutch free throws with 51 seconds left, and Elliott sealed the win with two more at the line with seven seconds remaining. A last-second shot attempt by Embry-Riddle was blocked by Olivia Arvallo, securing the 50-46 victory.