Crusaders roll over Eagles 95-53 in season opener
Posted by The Skyliner on December 2nd, 2009Cory Guinn
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The North Greenville men’s basketball team proved that a tough preseason schedule can lead to positive results after posting an impressive win over Toccoa Falls on Nov. 16 in Hayes Gymnasium. In the first game of the season, the Crusaders were firing on all cylinders as the defeated the Eagles 94-53.
After struggling through a tough exhibition schedule, many wondered just how good this young Crusader team could be. They answered that question and many more by forcing 29 turnovers in the game and shooting 41 percent from the field. The Crusader bench, another aspect of the team that was questioned, quieted critics by combining to score 38 points.
Leading all scorers was post player Paul Harrison, sophomore sport management, scoring 21 points while also pulling down five rebounds and blocking two shots. Kyler Vitko, senior sport management, posted 14 points on the night to go along with a team-leading seven rebounds. Off the bench, Tim Franklin, freshman sport management, and Jamaal Pryor, freshman sport management, each contributed eight points. Franklin also had a team-high four steals.
The Crusaders’ took on a tough Anderson squad in their second game of the season. The Trojans, one of the most potent offensive teams that North Greenville will face this season, left Tigerville with an 88-81 victory on Nov. 17 after shooting 53.1 percent in the second half.
North Greenville kept the game close the entire way but was never able to pull ahead at any point. Harrison had his second consecutive big game, scoring 21 points and grabbing six rebounds. Vitko posted the season’s first double-double, finishing with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Pryor was impressive once again, scoring 13 points off the bench to go along with eight rebounds. Millan Rodrigo, freshman sport management, and Luke Lattimer, freshman sport management, each chipped in 12 points.
“I feel like our team played hard the entire game,” head coach Chad Lister said. “We kept getting close but [Anderson] hit some key shots down the stretch and we couldn’t pull it out.”
In the Crusaders’ third straight home game, they took on the Brevard Tornadoes. The Tornadoes, known for their scoring ability, shot 57.6 percent in the game and came away with a 97-88 victory over North Greenville.
Vitko continued his strong early season play as he lead the team with 21 points and nine rebounds. Harrison was once again a dominant low-post presence, scoring 17 points to go along with two blocks. Lattimer had his best game of his college career, going 4-8 from three-point range and finishing the game with 16 points, while Zack Shields, sophomore accounting, scored a career-high 13 points.
On Nov. 23, the Chargers from Atlanta Christian University traveled to Tigerville to take on the Crusaders. In a game that was expected to be exciting, neither team disappointed. Kyler Booher, junior broadcast media, stole an Atlanta Christian inbounds pass and hit a layup with 2.5 seconds left on the game clock as North Greenville came away with a 95-93 victory in the most exciting game of the season so far.
Booher came off the bench to have the best game of his three-year career, scoring 19 points while Harrison led the team with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Vitko chipped in 12 points for the Crusaders, while guards Jimmy Ellis, freshman business administration, and Matt Hunter, freshman sport management, both gave North Greenville a spark off the bench, scoring nine and seven points respectively.
The Crusaders used a strong second half performance to defeat Montreat 68-49 on Nov. 24. This was the second consecutive win for North Greenville and their third in five games.
Harrison recorded his second straight double-double finishing the game with 20 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 12-13 from the free throw line. Lattimer was hot from long range once again, hitting four three-pointers and finishing the game with 14 points and seven rebounds. Vitko contributed eight points in the game while Rodrigo and Pryor each scored six points off the bench.
The Crusaders played against Limestone College last night to cap off their six-game home stand and will travel to Asheville, N.C., to take on Warren Wilson College on Dec. 10 before returning home on Dec. 15 to go up against Johnson and Wales University.
Tags: Fall 2009, Vol. 109 - Issue 11