A strong first half effort lifted the Coffeyville Red Ravens over Northwest Kansas Tech, 89-75, on Wednesday.

Before the game, Coffeyville’s sophomores were honored, some of which played a role in last season’s NJCAA national championship. Several of those sophomores made an immediate impact in Wednesday’s game, with Blaise Keita and Deng Mayar getting off to particularly hot starts. The Ravens jumped out to an early double-digit lead, and increased said lead to 16 points at the half, 42-26.

Much like the last few games, Coffeyville’s defense was tested in a big way across the second half. The Mavericks attacked with a renewed vigor, with Hantz Louis-Jeune giving the Ravens the most trouble. However, unlike previous games against Pratt and Colby, Coffeyville’s own offense was still firing on all cylinders, meaning that the Northwest Tech couldn’t do much to make up the deficit. Despite being outscored 47-45 in the second half, Coffeyville cruised to a comfortable 14-point victory.

Keita led the Ravens in scoring, picking up 18 points and 10 rebounds. Mayar added 14, with Nathan Johnson and Love Bettis each adding 12. The Ravens will move on to the Region VI tournament on Saturday, hosting a first-round matchup.