Comebacks. M-W Boys Basketball team awaits playoff after back-to-back wins
Newburgh /
| 20 Feb 2023 | 06:51
Jankarlos Mendoza brought the Crusader crowd to its feet with this dunk in the second half against Newburgh. Photos by William Dimmit.
Kyle McDermott’s efforts under the boards have been key to the Crusaders’ success this year.
Jayden Desir led the Crusaders’ comeback in the second half against the Goldbacks.
Crusader players celebrate their back-to-back upset victories.
The Crusaders entered the last week of the regular season at a crossroads.
The Varsity Boys Basketball team had lost its last game to Valley Central. That put the team’s season record at 10-8.
In front of the Crusaders were Kingston, a team they had not beaten since 2014 and Newburgh, who they had not defeated since 2018.
The only way to have a winning season this year would be to beat one of these perennial power house programs.
Feb. 15
On Wednesday night, the Crusaders hosted the Kingston Tigers. In tight first quarter action, Kyle McDermott scored eight points to keep the Crusaders close as the Tigers edged out to 18-15 lead.
In the second quarter, the Crusaders defense shut down the Tigers and held them to four points as the Crusaders moved to a 26-22 half-time lead.
In fast-moving third quarter action, both teams’ offenses took over and the lead began to change hands.
Jankarlos Mendoza led the Crusaders’ attack, scoring ten of his 24 in the game as the Tigers took a single-point lead into the fourth.
Mendoza just kept it coming in the final period as he scored nine more points.
The Crusaders edged out a 57-55 come-back victory over the Tigers for the first time in eight years.
Feb. 17
Two days later, the Crusaders traveled to Newburgh to face a strong Goldback team that had already handed them a 19-point defeat earlier in the season.
Newburgh jumped out to 16-11 lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Goldbacks stretched their lead to 13 points and it looked like they would run away with the game.
The Crusaders defense had different ideas and held the Goldbacks to 14 second-half points.
In the third quarter, Crusader Jayden Desir got the Crusader comeback going by scoring 11 with three three-point shots.
The final quarter was a back-and-forth battle.
And again, Mendoza came through, scoring five points in the fourth and the Crusaders defeated the mighty Goldbacks 46-44.
It looks like Crusaders have navigated the intersection and are ready to travel down the road to the playoffs.
The seedings for the Section 9 playoffs will be announced next week.
- William Dimmit