Needing just one more win to clinch their first-ever outright HAAC championship, the No. 9-ranked Raven men’s basketball team hit the road on Thursday to take on No. 15-ranked Culver-Stockton College in their final regular-season road game.

Benedictine (20-7, 13-4 HAAC) gave up a season-high 96 points to Culver-Stockton (21-6, 12-5 HAAC) as the Wildcats came out firing en route to a 96-81 win.

After Charlie Wallrapp converted a pair of free throws just under two minutes into the game, the Ravens led 2-0 before a 3-pointer from Culver-Stockton’s James Johnson gave the Wildcats their first lead, 3-2, seconds later.

That 3-pointer sparked a 22-3 run that allowed the Wildcats to take control of the game.

Benedictine was limited to just seven points over the first nine minutes of the game as the Wildcats held the Ravens scoreless from the field.

Back-to-back baskets from John Harris Jr. and Wallrapp gave Benedictine its first field goals of the opening half and cut their deficit to 22-11 with just under 10 minutes left in the first half but that would be all the closer the Ravens would get in the first half as Culver-Stockton led 55-37 at the half.

Culver-Stockton finished the half connecting on 54.5 percent from the floor while converting on 9 of 14 from beyond the arc.

In the second half, the Ravens warmed up to 58.1 percent from the floor while holding the Wildcats to 43.3 percent and just 3 of 7 from beyond the arc.

While outscoring Culver-Stockton 44-41 in the second half, the Ravens just couldn’t overcome their slow start as they suffered the loss.

Wallrapp was the only Raven in double figures with 17 points while Steven O’Brien and Harris Jr. finished with 8 points each.

The Ravens host No. 19 Evangel University at 4 p.m. Saturday inside the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium. A win by Benedictine would still give them the outright HAAC Championship while a loss would move the Ravens, Evangel and Culver-Stockton into a three-way share of the HAAC Championship.

— BC Sports Information —