Peru State used a dominant second-half effort and a series of timely perimeter shots to pull away for a 74-65 road win over Benedictine on Wednesday night.

Trailing 25-22 at the break, the Bobcats outscored the Ravens 52-40 over the final 20 minutes behind balanced scoring and key defensive stops. Peru State flipped the game midway through the second half, stretching a slim lead into double digits behind consecutive 3-pointers and strong play on the glass, then sealed it at the free-throw line in the final seconds.

Victor Lado powered the Bobcats inside with 15 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double while adding three blocks in 27 minutes. Christian Tidiane matched Lado with 15 points and hit three 3-pointers, including a deep make at the 5:17 mark of the second half that helped push the margin to 58-46 as Peru State began to take control. Denim Johnson provided a two-way spark with 12 points, six steals, four assists and three rebounds, while also knocking down clutch free throws late.

Peru State finished 24-of-54 (44.4%) from the field and 7-of-19 (36.8%) from 3-point range, but the difference came at the foul line and on the boards. The Bobcats converted 19-of-25 free throws (76.0%) and owned a 38-26 edge in total rebounds, including 12 offensive boards. Defensively, Peru State forced 14 turnovers, came up with nine steals and blocked seven shots, repeatedly disrupting Benedictine's rhythm in the second half.

After a low-scoring first half in which Benedictine inched ahead 25-22, the Bobcats' offense began to find a groove late in the period. A 3-pointer from Tidiane cut the deficit to 18-14, Everett Stubblefield followed with a triple to make it 18-17, and Johnson's pair of free throws tied the game at 20-20. Though the Ravens still carried a narrow edge into halftime, Peru State's late-half push foreshadowed the momentum shift after the break.