Crusaders captured the tournament title, vanquishing Wallkill Panthers
Monroe. In their last two games of 2022, the Crusaders beat Wallkill and Cornwall to win the basketball tournament.
Monroe /
| 11 Jan 2023 | 02:38
The outstanding performance of Jayden Desir, #20, earned him the Tournament MVP.
Jankarlos Mendoza drives past a Panther defender in the Tournament Final
Crusader Christopher Pearson, #24, was named to the all Tournament Team.
Christopher Pearson,(All Tournament Team), Jayden Desir (Tournament MVP) and Head CoachJim Hahn pose with their awards after the finale.
On the afternoon of Dec. 27, the Crusaders traveled to Cornwall High School to take on the Wizards of Washingtonville in the opening round of the Glen M. McGinnis Holiday Tournament. The Crusaders entered the game with a 3-2 record on the season after losing their last game to Warwick 70-59, and the Wizards came into the game with a 2-2 record on the season.
The Crusaders squeezed out a 14-13 lead in the first quarter with Darrel Davis scoring 4 points. The Wizards came back in the second quarter and took a 21-20 lead into the half. The Crusaders came back in the third quarter with Kyle McDermott scoring 4 as the teams went into the final period tied at 33.
In the 4th quarter the Crusaders offense came to life, with Jayden Desir coming off the bench to spark the offense with 7 points, as the Crusaders poured in 22. The Crusaders offensive outburst put the Wizards away, and the Crusaders had a 55-45 victory to advance to the tournament finale on Wednesday, Dec. 28.
In the tournament finale the Crusaders faced the undefeated Panthers of Wallkill who had beaten the Cornwall Dragons to reach the final. In the first quarter, the Crusaders jumped out to a 3 point lead with Darrel Davis scoring 6 points to get the offense started. The Crusaders began to pull away in the 2nd quarter with Jayden Desir again providing the spark as they pulled to 30-16 lead.
The Crusaders stretched their lead to 17 points in the third quarter. In the 4th quarter, the Crusaders ran away with the game with Bryce Williams scoring 5, as the Crusaders captured the Tournament Title with a 52-37 victory. Crusader Christopher Pearson was named to the all Tournament team and Jayden Desir was voted the tournament MVP for his outstanding play. The Crusaders’ victories brought their record to 5-2 on the season.