Crusaders Drop Battle Against McDaniel

Front Royal, Va.- The Christendom men's basketball team fell 52–39 to NCAA Division III opponent McDaniel on Tuesday night in a tightly contested home matchup that swung late in the second half. The Crusaders held a 22–18 advantage at halftime and continued to battle throughout, but a decisive run by the Green Terror proved to be the difference.

Christendom controlled the early stages of the game behind disciplined defense and steady interior play, limiting McDaniel's scoring opportunities and carrying a four-point lead into the break. The Crusaders extended that momentum early in the second half, building their largest lead of the night at seven, as John Fowler connected from deep and Daniel Schultz finished inside. Fowler led Christendom with 9 points, adding 3 assists and 2 steals, while Schultz contributed 8 points and 6 rebounds in the paint.

McDaniel responded with increased pressure and offensive efficiency, using a 13–0 run with just over seven minutes remaining to seize control of the game. Christendom struggled to find rhythm during the stretch, shooting 28.3 percentfrom the field and 3-of-18 from three-point range on the night. Despite the deficit, the Crusaders continued to compete, trimming the margin late and creating an opportunity to make it a five-point game with just over two minutes remaining, but a missed layup halted the momentum.

As Christendom was forced to foul down the stretch, McDaniel capitalized at the free-throw line to close out the contest and extend the final margin to 13. Edmund Thomas provided a strong spark off the bench with 6 points and 4 reboundsin limited minutes, while Bobby Vander Woude added 4 rebounds and 2 assists despite a difficult shooting night. Defensively, David Echaniz recorded 3 steals, helping keep the game within reach late.

Up Next: Although the result did not go their way, the Crusaders showed resilience throughout a back-and-forth battle and stayed competitive deep into the second half. Christendom will look to regroup and build on the defensive effort as it prepares for its next matchup against Regent on Wednesday, Jan 21.