Pride get one in the left-hand column with 74-57 win at Benedictine

ATCHISON, Kan. - Playing in their first Heart of America Athletic Conference road game, the Clarke University men's basketball team earned their first victory of the season in a 74-57 win over Benedictine College on Saturday afternoon.

The Pride used a 40-23 second half advantage to run away from the Ravens after coming out of halftime tied at 34-34, a quick 7-0 run to start the second got CU up 41-34 as that run would extend to 12-2 for a 10-point lead at 46-36.

Benedictine would pull within six points twice after that 10-point lead, the latest at 56-50 CU advantage with about 8:30 left in the game before a 12-3 run from the Pride climbed their lead back out to 15 with just under three minutes remaining for Clarke to cruise to victory.

Clarke used a deep scoring attack for their first win of the season led by a 15-point day from Maximiliano Bowman as he added four rebounds, three assists, and two steals while three other Pride players added double figures with Jake Layman scoring 13, Daquon Lewis producing 12, and Jonovan Howard adding 11 off the bench.

All four of those CU double digit scorers added at least four rebounds with the rebounding leading for the Pride being Carson Lindauer's nine boards as he was a rebound and a basket from the field away from a double-double, adding eight points off the bench.

The Ravens had three in double figures led by 14 points from Brycen LaRue, who had seven of those 14 from the free throw line, while Jack Vander Woude added 12 and Harrison Kisling produced 11 points off the bench.

Pride men's basketball will have a bit of a busy Thanksgiving week with two exhibition games on Monday and Saturday with a non-conference game on the road at Midland University on Friday, Nov. 29 their next regular season contest for a 3:30 p.m. CT scheduled tip against the Vikings.