Front Royal, VA – On Saturday, February 24, the Crusaders men's basketball (13-10) earned an exciting 75-65 comeback victory over the Manor College Blue Jays (11-6) to claim the regular season Conference Title.
Christendom fans packed the gym to see the Crusaders take on the Bluejays. Despite the roaring crowd, Manor got on the board first with a quick layup. They maintained an early lead through the first half, although 3-pointers by Bobby Vander Woude (Sophomore/Nokesville, VA), John Paul Vander Woude (Senior/Nokesville, VA), and Joe Ethridge (Freshman/Phoenix, AZ) provided a spark for the Christendom offense. With 10 minutes left in the first half, a layup by John Fowler (Freshman/Tempe, AZ) cut the Bluejay lead down to 1 point, 19-18. However, Manor then went on a 10-0 run to re-extend their lead to 29-18. Andrew Heisler (Senior/Front Royal, VA) hit a 3-pointer to stop the bleeding, but Manor then scored 4 more points to reach their largest lead of the game, 35-21, with 5 minutes to go in the first half. Christendom did not go away however, as the team ended the half on a 14-6 run to go into halftime only down six, 35-41.
The Crusaders came out strong in the second half, opening with a layup by Peter Ethridge (Senior/Phoenix, AZ) on their first possession. B. Vander Woude then hit a 3-pointer to further cut into the Manor lead. Then, with the Crusaders' shot clock expiring, Heisler hit an incredible half-court 3-pointer to bring Christendom within one point of the Bluejays, 44-43. P. Ethridge then took a crucial charge on defense, and J. Vander Woude hit two free throws to give the Crusaders the lead, 45-44. The Crusaders did not relinquish this lead for the rest of the game. Although the Bluejays cut Christendom's lead to 53-50 with 13 minutes to go, J. Vander Woude hit another 3-pointer to bring the lead back to six, 56-50. The Crusaders continued to play strong defense and connect on offense, ultimately winning 75-65.
J. Vander Woude led the Crusaders in scoring with 32 points, including eight 3-pointers. B. Vander Woude added 19 points and 6 rebounds, and Heisler scored 12. With this win, the Crusaders are regular season ESAC champs, and earned home court advantage in the Conference Championship
Up next – The Crusaders take on the Manor Bluejays in the Conference Championship, date and time TBD.