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Crusaders lose to Middletown 54 to 41

Central Valley. The girls’ varsity basketball team now hold a season record of 10-11.

Central Valley /
| 28 Feb 2024 | 11:36
    Sienna Feeley, #14, powers her way over two Middie defenders.
    Sienna Feeley, #14, powers her way over two Middie defenders. ( Photo by William Dimmit)
    Madison Fileen, #3, one of the Crusader all-time leading scorers, will be back for her senior year.
    Madison Fileen, #3, one of the Crusader all-time leading scorers, will be back for her senior year. ( Photo by William Dimmit)
    Brianna Taveras, #24, gets off a 3-point shot in the first half.
    Brianna Taveras, #24, gets off a 3-point shot in the first half. ( Photo by William Dimmit)
    The Crusaders line up for the National Anthem before their playoff game on Tuesday.
    The Crusaders line up for the National Anthem before their playoff game on Tuesday. ( Photo by William Dimmit)

On Tuesday, February 27, the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders girls’ varsity basketball team traveled to Middletown High School to face the Middies in a Section 9 Class AAA Section Pre-Lim. The Middies came into the playoff game with a League record of 4-5 and an overall record of 12-8. The Crusaders had a league mark of 3-6 and an overall record of 10-10.

The two teams split their home and away series this year, with the Crusaders winning by 11 at home and losing at Middletown by 20 when the teams met earlier in the season.

The game got off to a slow start as both teams looked tight, feeling the pressure of the playoffs. Brianna Taveras helped get the Crusaders off to a 10-8 first quarter lead as she scored 7 in the period. In the second quarter the Middies’ defense slowed the Crusaders down as they ground out a 20-15 half time lead.

After the half the Crusaders made a few runs in the third quarter but the Middies answered back every time and held a 39-32 lead. Sienna Feeley helped keep the Crusaders in the game in the third quarter. Her work on defense slowed the Middies down and her free throw shooting kept the Crusaders within striking distance.

In the fourth quarter Madison Fileen tried to rally the team scoring 5 of her 15 in the game. The Middies were just too much for the Crusaders that day, as they won a hard-fought game 54-41. The Crusaders’ loss brings their 2023-2024 season record to 10-11. The Crusaders will lose four players to graduation this year, but with a strong group of returning veterans and a strong group of JV players to pick from, they should be strong again next year.