LIVONIA, Mich. - Coming off of the most historic season in program history, the Crusaders returned to the floor of Alliance Catholic Credit Union Area with the expectations higher than ever. Kicking off the season with the annual Bernie Holowicki Classic, they faced the Goshen College Maples in their first game of the tournament. After getting off to a hot start, the Crusaders refused to let off the gas as the entire bench made an impact. Crusaders would be just shy of triple digits in their season opener, winning 97-75.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Crusaders wasted no time setting the tone as forward
Brendan Young scored the season's first points with an explosive slam dunk. He would follow it up with a deep three and pair of free throws, scoring seven of the game's first nine points. Getting on the board next was the Crusaders' newest big-man,
Nikola Sasaroga, whose early layup would be just the first points of his incredible Crusader debut. Just a minute after scoring his first basket, Sasaroga would give the Crusaders their first double-digit lead of the night with a contested layup in the paint. Crusaders led 15-4 just five minutes into the game.
Guard
Ethan Emerzian would score his first basket of the season with a three-pointer from the wing to add onto their lead. The center
Matthew MacLellan would then follow Young's lead as he got on the stat sheet for the first time this season with a powerful slam dunk. The Maples would try to cut into the lead but the Crusaders would steadily hold onto their double-digit lead.
With just under ten minutes left in the first half, a steal by Crusader forward Juan Cajelli would be the catalyst in the Crusaders beginning to pull away; swiping the ball away from a Maples' guard and taking it to the rim himself. Just two possessions later, Cajelli would swipe the ball away again, this time dealing it to Young who would drain a three with his heels nearly on the logo. After giving the Crusaders their first ten-point lead of the game earlier, Sasaroga would give them their first 20-point lead of the night with just over five minutes left in the first half. Another new face for the Crusaders, forward
Satchel Love, would make some noise with a slam dunk for his first Crusader basket.
The Crusaders would close out the first half with six-straight points from guard
Isaac Anderson who broke out for the Crusaders last season. Among his series of baskets was a fastbreak dunk in the final minute to let the Maples know they weren't letting up anytime soon. They would go into the halftime break up 49-30.
The intermission would not dull the Crusaders' fire as they continued right where they left off. MacLellan would open things up with a three-point play, followed by back-to-back layups from guard
Ahmoni Weston. Then, it was right back to MacLellan who threw down another dunk on the Maples.
The Crusaders continued to creep further and further as their lead would grow to thirty just six minutes into the second half. Cajelli would continue to make waves this game, jamming a put-back dunk on the Maples to add insult to injury, as the Crusaders stretched their lead to 74-41 with twelve minutes still to go.
Safely ahead with a decent margin, the Crusaders would rest their starters for the final few minutes in preparation for Day Two of the Bernie Holowicki Classic tomorrow right back at ACCU Arena. They would coast to a 97-75 victory in a dominant season-opening performance.
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