In it’s home opener on Thursday, Holy Cross defeated Harvard, 73-69, after Patrick Benzan went 5 of 6 from the free throw line in the final 21 seconds.
Final
| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HARV (2-1) | 31 | 38 | 69 |
| HC (2-0) | 41 | 32 | 73 |
The junior guard lead the Crusaders in scoring with 18 points, also contributing three assists and seven rebounds. Junior guard Jehyve Floyd scored 11 for the Crusaders and three rebounds along with two steals. Karl Charles, after scoring 23 against Sacred Heart, cooled down, only managing two points but had five assists and four steals.
This game was a standout game for many of the Crusaders’ young players, particularly their freshman. Guard Caleb Green started the game and tied for second on the team in scoring with fellow freshman Matt Faw, who both scored 12 points. Austin Butler also had a solid night, scoring 10 points and having two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Jacob Grandinson started the game as well and had five points and four rebounds. The Freshman contributed over 50 percent of the team’s total scoring.
Sophomore forward Seth Towns lead the Crimson in scoring and rebounds with 24 points 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Danilo Djuricic scored 14 points off the bench, shooting 50 percent from the field and grabbing seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Bryce Aiken scored 14 points and had six assists.
Holy Cross shot an impressive 50 percent from the field in this victory, as opposed to Harvard’s 42 percent. Harvard outrebounded the Crusaders by 13, as they had 40 total rebounds, 16 of which were offensive. The downfall for the Crimson came from their their 23 total turnovers, as opposed to Holy Cross’ 14.
Harvard only lead once in the game, but came close to reclaiming the lead late in the game. Junior guard Corey Johnson missed a three pointer with 19 seconds left, and Faw fouled, sending Towns to the line. Towns missed one of the free throws. After the shots, Harvard’s Rio Haskett fouled Benzan, who made one shot. Djuricic made a lay up with one second left after Aiken missed a three, but it was not enough to help the Crimson back into the game.
The Crusaders will visist Rhode Island (1-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Crimson will look to get back on track on the road against Manhattan (1-0) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
