Giving up is something that isn’t in senior guard Raven Benton’s blood.
After suffering an injury in February 2015, Benton had a roller coaster time with the Long Beach State women’s basketball team that included lots of physical therapy and strength training, but one moment signifies her battle back from adversity.
That moment is when Benton drilled the game-winning shot against Cal Poly during the 49ers’ 54-52 win March 9.
“When I had the ball, I saw a double team so I passed it to my teammate and then when she [drove to the basket], she got double teamed. “So I just remember yelling for the ball and once I got it I just let it go and it went in.”
That’s how senior guard Raven Benton described her buzzer-beating shot against Cal Poly to win the quarterfinal final round of the Big West Tournament last season.
“[I felt] just joy, my adrenaline was going, so I was really hyped,” Benton said about her game-winning shot. “Cal Poly is my least favorite team, so I was just happy to beat them.”
Benton played basketball at Federal Way High School in Federal Way, Washington. There she flourished as an offensive juggernaut her senior year, leading the state in scoring where she averaged 26.6 points per game. She also helped guide her high school team to two state championship appearances.
According to Benton, other schools recruited her, but she chose Long Beach State because the 49ers kept calling and were adamant about having her on the team.
Since Benton started her collegiate career at the Beach, she has averaged double digit points in scoring every year. She has also helped the 49ers reach the Big West Tournament in her first three seasons and is now looking forward to success this year.
“For her senior year, she wants to win a championship,” Wynn said. “It’s not just about her, she knows that she needs to have an entire team on board and playing selfless basketball.”
Wynn added that even though Benton is an offensive player, she has the mindset of getting her teammates involved and that that will help the team immensely throughout the season.
Last Feb. 14, 2015, the 49ers played against Cal Poly at the Walter Pyramid. The 49ers at the time were 20-4, 7-3 with aspirations of making a run at the Big West title, but everything changed when three players suffered injuries in the game. One of those players was Benton, who was the team’s leading scorer.
During that game, Benton suffered left knee cartilage injury.
“I was going to the basket on a fast break,” Benton recalled. “It was against Cal Poly and I was going up for a layup and I got bumped slightly, it wasn’t that hard, and I just heard something pop in my knee. It didn’t hurt or anything, but when I landed, I tried to get back up and walk, [but] I couldn’t walk.”
Benton said that she was dumbfounded by the fact she could not get back up.
That was the first time she suffered a major injury in her life and four days later she received surgery, ending her sophomore year of basketball.
Benton described the recovery process as long, tough and draining. She learned how difficult it was to recover and questioned whether she could be the same player.
“I had a couple doubts that I wasn’t going to be the player I was,” Benton said. “I [thought] I was going to be slower, like the first few games I felt like that, but I got into my rhythm and I was not going to let it stop me, I was just going to dominate.”
Wynn said that the recovery process was one that tested Benton’s limits.
“She had to learn how to walk again and then run again and then cut, move and jump,” Wynn said. “It’s a process and it took a lot of time and it certainly wore on her patience, but overcoming it and knowing that she’s gotten through something devastating can help her in any adverse moments that she faces for the rest of her life.”
Benton eventually bounced back from her injury during her junior year, as she again led the 49ers in scoring with an average of 13.5 points per game to earn first-team All-Big West honors.
On the court, Benton scores in bunches and helping her team out by facilitating. Wynn says Benton has a “Raven Zone,” where she just goes off on teams and seems unstoppable to guard.
Off the court, Benton enjoys hanging out with friends, going to Clippers games, watching Netflix, listening to music and going to McDonald’s.
Teammate and senior forward Jewelyn Sawyer says that Benton enjoys has one fast food restaurant that she loves going to.
“She loves McDonald’s,” Sawyer said. “I can’t stand McDonald’s anymore, [but] she loves McDonald’s, she gets French fries, chicken nuggets, she loves it.”
Benton defended her love for McDonald’s saying that she always loved it as kid and will forever love it – especially the fries.
Eating habits aside, Benton enters her final year of basketball at LBSU and says she’s ready to go out on the court and play.
“I’m ready,” Benton said. “I know that I’ve worked all my life, so for my last year [I’m] just going to show my hard work and I’m excited to play with my teammates and [about] how well they’ve been working, practicing and I think we’re going to be pretty good.”