LIVONIA, Mich. — Madonna rode a blistering first half and a 30-point performance from Joey Liedel to a 90-67 win over Siena Heights on Saturday afternoon, never trailing in a wire-to-wire home victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Crusaders took control early, erupting for 50 points in the first half while holding Siena Heights to 28. Madonna's perimeter shooting set the tone as the team connected on 15 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc for the game (44.1 percent) and finished 48.5 percent overall from the field. Siena Heights struggled to match that efficiency, shooting 41.3 percent from the floor and just 4 of 18 (22.2 percent) from long range.
Liedel led Madonna's offensive outburst with 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range, and a perfect 3-of-3 at the foul line while adding two assists. Makyle Doss provided another perimeter threat, scoring 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting and 4-of-8 from deep, and helped facilitate the offense with four assists. Ahmoni Weston added 13 points as Madonna's balance and ball movement produced 19 assists on 33 made field goals.
The decisive stretch came in the first quarter, when the Crusaders turned defensive stops into quick offense to build a double-digit lead. A 3-pointer from Doss pushed the margin to 35-20 with 7:43 left in the first, part of a sustained run that kept Siena Heights on its heels. Late in the half, DeAntwan Randall finished a paint layup to cap a dominant opening 20 minutes and send Madonna into the break up 50-28.
Madonna maintained control after halftime, answering Siena Heights' attempts to chip away with timely perimeter shots. Early in the second half, Liedel buried another 3-pointer to extend the lead to 55-32, reinforcing the Crusaders' command of the game. Siena Heights played closer to even in the final 20 minutes, narrowly outscored 40-39 in the second half, but never threatened the margin as Madonna continued to generate efficient looks and protect the basketball.
Siena Heights was led by Nick Sobush, who scored 16 points, including 8-of-9 at the free-throw line, and added three assists. Jasiah Rainey posted 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jack Olis and George Kalatzis each finished with 12 points. Olis also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds as Siena Heights held a slight edge on the offensive glass, 12-11, but could not convert that into a sustained run.
Madonna closed the afternoon with a 37-34 rebounding advantage and a plus-seven edge in assists (19-12), reflecting an efficient, shared offensive effort. Even as Siena Heights' Jonas Tester connected on a late jumper for the visitors' final field goal, the Crusaders' lead remained comfortably intact to the final horn as Madonna secured the 23-point victory.

UP NEXT:
The Crusaders will be back in action on Wednesday, February 4th as the travel to Lima, Ohio to take on the University of Northwestrn Ohio. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM.