As we enter the final weeks of January, the Crusader basketball team enters what is the most highly anticipated week of the regular season. Taking on arch rival Marist, top-ranked Seton Academy, and eighth-ranked Marian Catholic all in the span of one week, the Crusaders had a lot to prove. The now 17-3 and eighteenth-ranked Crusader team beat Marist and Seton at home, then dropped a heartbreaker to the Spartans when the team traveled to Marian Catholic.

The Marist Red Hawks took the short bus ride down Pulaski to Brother Rice for the “Battle of Pulaski Road: Basketball Edition” on Tuesday, January 22. The first meeting between the two since the Crusader’s first round loss in last year’s IHSA playoffs gave the sold-out crowd and the over 4000 viewers on High School Cube the highly anticipated game it deserved. After both teams honored Brother Rice graduate Andrew Weishar ‘09, the Crusader offense got out to a sizzling start. At the end of the first half, the team was leading 32-14 behind the great performances from seniors Alex Majewski, 20 points, and Jim Barista, 25 points. The second half was more of the same from the Crusaders, as the squad poured on more of the offensive power and had the sold-out Crusader Crazies charging the floor after the team routed the Red Hawks 64-49 and took control over the coveted Pulaski Road honor.

The Crusaders took the floor again as top ranked Seton Academy came to Brother Rice for a Catholic League battle. Television cameras and reporters flocked to Brother Rice for another important game circled on the Crusaders schedule. After suffering an injury early in the first half, Jim Barista took a spot on the bench and junior guard Quinn Niego took the point for Coach Richardson’s offense. The squad never saw the lead until late in the fourth quarter when Majewski hit two free throws to bring his point total to 28 and to give the Crusaders the lead for the win. The junior tandem of Quinn Niego and Ray Rubio kept the team in the game with their outstanding defensive play and strong offense. After the last minute win, the Crusaders traveled to Chicago Heights to take on eighth-ranked Marian Catholic.

Not only reporters and television cameras going to Marian Catholic for the matchup between the Spartans and Crusaders; college coaches were also in attendance. Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo was on a recruiting trip as the Brother Rice squad took on an outstanding Spartans team. After failing behind early, the Crusaders were able to rally and cut what was once a 16 point deficit down to a three point lead for the Spartans with 2:18 remaining in regulation. It would take a buzzer beater in the final seconds to give the Spartans the win and send the disappointed Crusader team packing after a heartbreaking loss.

The 69-67 loss to the Spartan’s marked the Crusader’s record to 17-3. Every member of the squad is firing at full power except for senior forward Matt Page who suffered a sprained ankle and is on a day-to-day basis for his return. Majewski is finding his strong rhythm in the paint while Jim Barista continues to excel with his outside shooting, and the two juniors continue to give solid games night in and night out. Come playoff time, the Crusaders will not let another loss like the Marian Catholic game happen again.