Crusaders Fall to Centurions on Senior Night

Front Royal, VA - The Christendom Crusaders Men's Basketball played a great game this past Tuesday, February 25, honoring their senior David Echaniz (Senior/ Front Royal, VA) but eventually fell to the Bucks County  Centurions 71-67. 

Tuesday's match came down to the wire as both the Crusaders and the Centurions battled hard for a conference win. Christendom needed to come on top by 5 points in order to secure a spot the ESAC Conference Championship. With this in mind, the team brought incredible intensity from the first moments of this half. Just two minutes into the game, John Fowler (Sophomore/ Tempe, AZ) hit a 3-pointer to give his team an early lead. The Crusaders had a strong first half, collecting numerous rebounds and steals. The score flipped between the two teams throughout the first half. Freshman Luke Ross (Freshman/ Tulsa, OK) made an impressive layup as he fell to the floor off a foul from the Centurions. With another 3-point shot by Fowler, the Crusaders avoided going into the second half trailing and ended the half on top, 32-31. 

As the second half began, Bucks County took a commanding start and recaptured the lead from the Crusaders. A few minutes later, both Charlie Evich (Sophomore/ Broadlands, VA) and Echaniz sank baskets from three-point range to put the Crusaders in reach of their opponent. A crucial block by Daniel Shultz (Sophomore/ Fredericksburg, TX) and a layup by Echaniz continued to push Christendom closer to the lead. However, they were unable to maintain their momentum and soon fell behind by 10 points. A steal by Echaniz brought him down the court for a tying bucket; the score now 61-61. The Centurions picked up the pace of their play and again took control of the scoreboard. The final minutes of the game dragged as the Crusaders were just buckets away from taking the game. A final layup from Michael Vander Woude (Freshman/ Nokesville, VA) closed the game at 71-67, with the Crusaders falling short.  

Despite the loss, the Crusaders played a hard fought game and ended the night with an impressive 56 rebounds compared to Buck County's 38. The Crusaders also celebrated Senior David Echaniz at his last home game. Echaniz is a great leader and an example of hard work on the team, and plays a crucial role on and off the court.