MILWAUKEE – The MSOE women's basketball team limited Benedictine to just 30.2 percent shooting and held a team below 50 points scored for the sixth time in scoring a 51-42 victory Saturday afternoon at the Kern Center.

The Raiders (12-5, 10-2 NACC) prevailed in a defensive struggle, downing the Eagles (11-6, 8-4 NACC) and remaining in a three-way tie for first place in the NACC standings.

Junior Margaret Pugh scored 13 points to lead MSOE. Junior Holly Denfeld tallied 12 points, while senior Megan Kroll tallied 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

BenU was led by Venita Parsons' 11 points. Briana Hamilton added 10.

The Raiders trailed 12-9 after the first quarter, but seized control of the game with a 20-12 advantage in the second quarter. The Eagles held a 20-18 lead at the 6:49 mark of the period, when MSOE responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes and never looked back.

The visitors were briefly as close as three points, but the Red & White pulled away. A Parsons three-pointer just over two minutes into the fourth quarter made it 40-36. That was Benedictine's last gasp, as MSOE answered each BenU basket down the stretch to prevent any comeback attempt.

While dominating defensively, the Raiders shot just marginally better at 34.4 percent. They did, however, force 17 turnovers in the game while committing just nine. That led to a 17-5 advantage in points off turnovers.

MSOE returns to the court Wednesday, hosting Concordia Wisconsin. The Raiders and Falcons are tied with Wisconsin Lutheran for first place in the NACC, now two games ahead of BenU and two other teams.