SYLVANIA, Ohio - The Madonna University men's basketball team advanced to the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament Final with a huge 88-78 semifinal victory over Lourdes University on Saturday inside the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center. Madonna advanced to its second straight WHAC Tournament Final and will take on top-seeded Indiana Tech on Tuesday night in Fort Wayne. The win also helped the Crusaders clinch a NAIA National Tournament berth, as Indiana Tech already clinched the WHAC Regular Season Championship bid. Madonna is back in the NAIA Tournament for the first time since the 2019-20 season, also the last time the Crusaders won the WHAC Tournament title. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Madonna was looking to avenge its 96-87 loss to Lourdes earlier this month, and the Crusaders couldn't have started the game any better, as they hit four three-pointers to take a 12-5 and force a quick timeout by the hosts. The Crusaders were able to open up a 12 point lead early in the opening half, but the Gray Wolves cut the deficit to just two points with 9:20 remaining. From there, the teams battled hard for the rest of the half and were trading baskets. Lourdes however had the final say in the opening period, as Little Anderson knocked down a jumper and gave the Gray Wolves a 37-35 lead at the halftime break. For Madonna, Ethan Emerzian led the way with nine points after hitting 3-of-4 three-point baskets in the first half.  

The start of the second half was much like the end of the first as the teams continued to trade baskets and didn't give each other an inch. Lourdes was able to take a six-point lead but Brendan Young quickly cut it to three with 11:06 to go. Again, the Gray Wolves responded by going up six points, but Madonna countered and Emerzian hit a three with 8:07 left to tie things up at 66-66. Madonna finally took the lead for good with 6:31 remaining, as Henry Speight fought through the contact and got the and-one to make it 71-68 Crusaders. With under two minutes left, Speight knocked down a dagger three-pointer, and Mark Mettie threw down a fastbreak dunk off a steal to give Madonna an 84-75 lead and cap off a 12-4 Crusader run. Lourdes tried to answer the Madonna run, but the Crusaders were too much to handle and hit their free throws down the stretch to go home victorious.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 

• Speight led the Madonna offense with 29 points, going 8-of-9 from the field and 12-of-12 from the charity stripe. 
• Mettie scored 15 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for a double-double.
• Deric Murray added 15 points off the bench for Madonna, while Emerzian posted 14 points of his own. 
• As a team, the Crusaders were 27-of-31 from the free-throw line. 
• Little Anderson led the Gray Wolves with 23 points. 

UP NEXT:

Madonna will do battle with No. 6 Indiana Tech on Tuesday, February 28th from the Schaefer Center in Fort Wayne.

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