Ravenswood’s Beau Bennett helps cut down the net following Wednesday’s Class AA Region 4 co-final victory against Buffalo. (Photo by Rick Ryan)

RAVENSWOOD – When you’re shooting for a spot in the state tournament, it helps to have guys who have been there before. Ravenswood certainly has that.

Beau Bennett tossed in 22 points and Evan Swain added a double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds) as the Red Devils dashed past Buffalo 66-40 Wednesday in a Class AA Region 4 co-final at The Pit.

The victory sends Ravenswood (19-5) into the state tournament for a third straight year. The Red Devils received the No. 6 seed and square off with No. 3 Chapmanville (18-6) at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 14 at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.

Bennett, starting in his third straight regional championship game, knocked down all four of his 3-pointers in the first half and tallied 18 points before the break as the Red Devils led 42-20. Logan Alfred, another third-year Ravenswood starter, had 10 of his 12 points in the first half.

“It never gets old,” Bennett said. “It’s what you work for all season, to get to Charleston. To win the regional is one of our biggest goals every year. It never gets old.”

The 6-foot-7 Swain made 10 of 11 shots in scoring 20 points and 6-7 Greyson Keen added 10 rebounds to lead Ravenswood to a dominating 31-15 edge off the boards. Noah Dawson, a second-year starter, scored six points.

“I think that’s important,” Ravenswood coach Mick Price said of having players familiar with regional final pressure. “I told Beau and Noah and Logan, ‘You have to lead this team because you’ve been to two state tournaments in a row and you guys know what it takes.’

“I think your regional championships are the toughest 32 minutes in the game because you’re either going home or you’re going to Charleston. And a lot of teams choke and don’t get there because the pressure gets to them. I thought our kids paid attention to detail this week in practice. They shared the ball, took open shots and shot with confidence, and that’s what kind of got us going.”

The game was tied at 8 early before Ravenswood went on 15-0 run to close out the first quarter. Buffalo (11-14) was never within 11 points again.

“We had a game plan,” said Bison coach Adam Scott, “but their bigs [Swain and Keen] had 18 each the first time we played. What are you going to do? We didn’t get the shots to fall that we needed to fall.”

Ravenswood shot 79% in the first quarter (11 of 14) and was still at 67% by halftime (18 of 27). The Red Devils finished the game at 64% (29 of 45).

Bennett knocked down three straight 3s in the second quarter and was 4 of 8 for the game from long range.

“After I made a couple,” Bennett said, “I felt like I was on a roll. I was fired up. We were all fired up. It comes easy after that.”

Jackson Mallett sank his first two 3-point tries for Buffalo and led his team with 10 points. Nick Pitchford scored nine and Asher Flanery eight. The Bison shot only 32% (15 of 47) as they lost in the regionals at Ravenswood for the second time in three years.

Price said his team leaned on the experience brought by returning starters like Bennett, Alfred and Dawson.

“I told them before the game,” Price said, “that you guys are at this point in your careers where since you were little, you’ve been in this Pit and you’ve watched regional

championships and you put yourself on that floor in that game and in that situation. And you’ve made the winning shot or got the winning rebound.

“You get to fulfill a dream tonight from when you were little and in here watching. Now you’re juniors and seniors and you’re playing to go to the state tournament. I want our kids to feel like that, and I want the little kids to feel like that when they’re here, too.”