BALDWIN CITY, Kan. — The Ravens defense turned in a massive, late-game stop and handed the ball back to Benedictine’s offense against Baker on Saturday night.

But the Ravens offense faltered, and Benedictine lost 29-21 in Baldwin City, Kan.

Baker, trying to ice the game with less than 3 minutes to go, had the ball on the Benedictine 15 with the eight-point advantage. But the Ravens defense stuffed Baker for three straight plays.

Baker lined up for a field goal but faked it. The Wildcats tried to throw a pass instead, and Benedictine defender Matthias Williams broke up the attempt.

Benedictine took over with 1:40 remaining.

But Ravens quarterback Ryan Kelly overthrew Chris Langley on the next play, and Baker intercepted the pass, ending the game. Benedictine fell to 3-4 while Baker is 3-3.

Even considering the loss, Benedictine coach Larry Wilcox said there were positives for the Ravens to take out of the game.

“That was our best game of the year. We played our hearts out,” Wilcox said. “They hit the hardest they’ve hit all year. They played hard every play.”

The game was close throughout.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Baker led 19-14 before a series of disastrous plays for Benedictine.

First Baker kicker Derek Doerfler hit a 45-yard field goal, expanding the Wildcats’ lead to 22-14. After a touchback, the Ravens took over. However, Kelly was sacked and fumbled, and Baker recovered on the Benedictine 1-yard line.

Baker running back Richie Bryant rumbled into the end zone untouched, and the Wildcats increased their lead to 29-14.

The Ravens answered quickly, though, when Kelly hit Langley for a 16-yard touchdown on the next possession. That closed the Ravens’ deficit to 29-21.

“It’s disappointing once again to lose a game like that,” said Kelly, who finished 17-for-31 for 162 yards and three touchdowns. “We just have to move on from it and keep trying to get better.”

Bryant, the Heart of America Conference’s leading rusher, proved to be a challenge for Benedictine. He carried 24 times for 134 yards and a touchdown.

Benedictine struggled to run the ball. Neither of its top rushers got over 50 yards: D.J. Matysek had 34 yards on eight carries, and Omar Diaz had 27 yards on seven rushes.

Kelly said the Raven offense struggled to maintain its consistency.

“We have our really good moments, and we have bad moments. We just have to bring it all together,” Kelly said. “Some of our mistakes were communication errors, and those can be fixed. We’ve just got to pick it up, fix the mistakes and move on from there.”