NAIA

Crusaders win rematch with Blue Devils; head to WHAC Championship

LIVONIA, Mich. – One week after upsetting the Madonna Crusaders (24-5, 19-3) in the final game of the regular season, the Blue Devils of Lawrence Tech (20-9, 15-7) returned to ACCU Arena today for a rematch in the semi-finals of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament. While the Crusaders came out scorching, jumping ahead to an early lead, the Blue Devils reminded them that they are not a team that goes down easy. The back-and-forth matchup turned out to be another classic matchup between these two crosstown rivals, coming down to the very last buzzer. In a storybook ending, the Crusaders would find themselves on top of the team that spoiled their evening on Senior Day, led by their first-team all-conference forward Brendan Young with 28 points and ten rebounds, including the final two free throws that iced the game in their favor. The Crusaders would take a 84-78 win in their redemption game over the Blue Devils and punch their ticket to the WHAC Tournament Championship on March 5th, where they will face the Cornerstone University Golden Eagles (23-7, 17-5).