WARRIORS DEFEATED BY EFFICIENT OFFENSE FROM CRUSADERS

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - It was a tough second half for the Warriors (15-8, 10-7) in a 94-83 loss to the #RV Madonna Crusaders (19-4, 15-2) on Wednesday night in Garth Pleasant Arena.

Off the bench, guard Brody Parker led the Warriors in scoring with 21, while forward Brett White and James Fisher recorded 18-10 and 12-12 double-doubles, respectively. Guard Gunner Walters scored 12 while dishing out seven assists.

THE RUNDOWN

FIRST HALF

• It was a competitive start in the matchup, with both teams trading baskets in early in the first half. Forward Brandon Michrina and White knocked down threes to give Rochester some momentum early, but the Crusaders quickly found an answer
• The Crusaders embarked on a 9-0 run with highly efficient offense to build some separation following the first media timeout. The Warriors threatened the lead with a three from Parker and a layup from White, but the Crusaders found baskets at the right time to keep the lead around the ten-point mark. However, a late second-half run by the Warriors helped close the deficit to six at halftime

SECOND HALF

• The second half was a rough start for Rochester, with the Crusaders taking advantage of missed opportunities to find baskets on the other end of the floor, extending the lead to 19 points off excellent shot-making. While the team was caught on its heels, Rochester closed the gap to 12 behind big shots from Parker
• Turnovers did trouble the Warriors, but the team found a way back in behind some great plays from Parker and backcourt mate Bralin Toney, who threw a pass between a Crusader's legs to find center Stavros Polatoglou for a dunk. Unfortunately for Rochester, Madonna was white-hot from the foul line, not giving the Warriors much of a chance to make it a game with under a minute left

POSTGAME PRESSER

Head Coach Klint Pleasant had this to say about what the team needed to improve upon from the loss:

"We simply have to be more consistent shooting the ball from the arc, and we have to sit down and guard isolation dribble penetration. If we can do that, we will be a better team down the stretch."

STAT OF THE GAME

The Warriors turned the ball over 14 times compared to the Crusaders' five, leading to eight more points off turnovers for Madonna (16-8).

UP NEXT

The Warriors return home to face Indiana Tech on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 3 p.m.

Hussein Murray - RU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Hanna Swanson - RU Athletics