Christendom's deafening fanbase powered the Crusaders basketball team to a strong second half, but that was not enough to give the Crusaders a victory in their home opener, ultimately falling to the Ave Maria University Gyrenes 69-44.
The game marked the first meeting between the two Catholic schools, and Christendom students, faculty, staff and alumni packed the bleachers for the exciting matchup. A rough first half put the Crusaders quickly behind the Gyrenes, however, with Ave Maria jumping out to a 47-13 lead.
Things turned around in the second half, with Luke Schultz, Ian Heisler, and freshman Owen Kennedy leading the charge for the Crusaders. Schultz finished the game with a double-double, scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds, with Heisler and Kennedy close behind with 10 and 9 points respectively. The Crusaders outscored Ave Maria 31-22 in the second half, but the first half hole was too difficult to overcome, resulting in a 69-44 loss.
The Crusaders are now 1-3 on their season. On November 28th, the Crusaders head south to play NCAA DI North Carolina Central University.