What a week for men's basketball head coach Jay Herkelman. On January 12th he was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame and since then, his team has gone 2-0, defeating Cowley on Saturday January 13th and Allen County January 17th.
The Red Ravens started out strong as they got out to an early lead and never looked back. The defense for the Red Ravens halted any offensive rhythm for the Red Devils. Leading scorer for the Red Ravens, and the game was red shirt freshman Anthony Jones, with 20. It seemed every time Jones touched the ball he was scoring either a deep three or making some acrobatic shot. It was a strong showing from Jones. You could hear the Red Devils' head coach screaming, "Shooter! Get up on him! Double him!" when Jones was in control of the ball.
Jones' performance helped the Red Ravens gain their first home victory of 2018.
The Red Ravens also found production in someone who has been a solid producer all year; sophomore The Entertainer Cedric Roland. Roland notched 19 points, 7 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, and went 5/5 from the free throw line.
"He's having a very good and a very quite night," said KGGF sports broadcaster Matt Jordan. "He's putting up points and being disruptive down low."
Freshman Casey Benton also had a big night as he shot 6/15 from inside the arch and totaling 15 points, 1 steal, and 4 rebounds. Benton has been a hot player for the Red Ravens all year and has really come alive as of late. With time winding down and the Red Devils trying to make a comeback, Benton drove to the paint drawing three defenders. In true Benton form, he twisted in midair and made an athletic basket to put the Red Ravens up 73-68.
Despite the offensive showings of Jones, Roland, and Benton the Red Ravens showed their dominance by taking care of the ball.
Sophomore Joshua Hill tallied a game high 11 rebounds. Despite having a height difference between Hill and his defenders, Hill got inside and "did the dirty work" for the Red Ravens. Hill out hustled his defenders and established a presence for his team. Along with his 11 rebounds, Hill posted 7 points and went 5/6 from the free throw line.
Sophomore Travis Washington also took care of the ball as he ran the point guard position. The President had 7 assists, 2 steals, 4 rebounds, and totaled 4 points. Several times the President would drive to the bucket and find Jones wide open or have a slick dish to Benton as he cut towards the basket.
The Red Ravens improve to 14-4 on the season and 10-4 in conference after the win. They host rival Independence on Saturday at 7:00pm.