NAIA

Crusaders rally past Defenders in second-ever tournament win

LIVONIA, Mich. – After completing the best regular season in program history, the No. 5 seeded Madonna Crusaders returned to the court today for the first round of the NAIA National Tournament in their very own ACCU Arena. Hosting the National Tournament for the first time ever, the Crusaders faced the high-powered offense of the No. 12 seeded Dordt University Defenders. Both teams came out firing in the first half, posting nearly identical shooting splits through the first twenty-minutes of play. However, it was still the Defenders' game to lose, as they stayed steadily ahead of the Crusaders for nearly the entire game. In the final minutes with the season on the line, the Crusaders would rally ahead to force a late-game comeback. First team All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) guard Isaac Anderson would ice the game in the final minute, going 4-for-4 from the free throw line to propel the Crusaders into the second round of the Tournament, winning 77-72.