Senior, Samuel Fileen poses with his family before the game (
)
Cameron Spears put the Crusaders ahead for good with a 3-point shot in the 4th quarter.
Jeremiah Arne, #14, took over in the fourth quarter as he led the Crusaders to victory.
The Crusaders held their Senior Day celebration before their game against the Bushmen of Pine Bush last Friday. Seniors and their parents were given posters, flowers and gift baskets in a brief ceremony.
The Crusaders entered the game with an 8-5 record for the season, after losing to Kingston in their last game. The Bushmen came in with 6-6 on the season after beating Newburgh in their last game. The two teams both got off to a slow start in the first quarter with Samuel Fileen hitting a big three point shot to give the Crusaders an 8-4 lead.
In the second quarter the teams exchanged leads, with the Bushmen pulling away at the half with a 25-19 lead. After the half the Bushmen increased their lead to ten points, but the Crusaders were getting ready to stage their biggest come back of the year. Over the last six minutes of play in the third quarter, the Crusaders cut the Bushmen’s lead down to one.
With the largest crowd of the year getting behind the Crusaders surge, and Cameron Spears knocking down one of his four 3-point shots in the period, the gym had a very pre-pandemic feel with noise and excitement. In the 4th quarter Spears gave the Crusaders the lead with another 3-point shot, with seven minutes left in the game.
After that, Jeremiah Arne took over. The senior scored 9 of his 15 points in the quarter as the Crusaders began to pull away. At the buzzer the Crusader bench ran on to the court and joined the team in celebrating their 56-43 victory over the Bushmen. The Crusaders victory brings their record to 9-5 on the season. Their next game will be on Tuesday, when they host the Vikings of Valley Central.