Westminster started the game in a zone defence and Crusaders struggled early as the outside shots weren’t falling and they were kept scoreless for the first three and a half minutes of the game. They managed to stay in the game, though, as Westminster struggled with the Crusaders solid man-to-man defence, only managing to score four points of their own.

More than three minutes in Kalil Irving finally connected on an outside shot, to reduce the Westminster lead to 3-4, and though Westminster managed to build the lead up to four again, Crusaders star Brad Smith took matters into his own hands and made sure the home team stayed in the game. Starting with a three pointer Smith scored the next 14 Crusader points, making six of eight shots to take Crusaders up one at the first break, 17-16.

For the first five minutes of the second quarter the lead changed several times as neither team could establish a commanding lead. Five minutes into the quarter Westminster’s Inacio made a free throw to give the guests a 23-24 lead, but this was to be their last lead of the game. Crusaders went on a 9-2 run to finish the quarter, behind Betts, Irving and Smith baskets.

In the third quarter the game pace picked up considerably. Sam Betts started the scoring for Crusaders with a three pointer, building the lead to nine, 35-26. The lead stayed at nine for the next couple of minutes, but then a forty second spell saw Baker and Williams score eight unanswered Westminster points, to bring them within one, 39-38.

Brad Smith wasn’t about to let all his hard work in the first half go to waste, though, as he scored twice, which seemed to focus the home team again. Harris and Smith scored and the lead was back up to ten, but Crusaders didn’t stop there. Three pointers by Smith and Harris helped build the lead to 17 with a minute to go in the quarter, though Westminster managed to get to 13 before the last quarter, 64-53.

Westminster started the scoring in the final quarter as Junior Williams hit a three pointer, but over the next three minutes neither team was able to find the bottom of the net. The deadlock was broken as Greg Currat hit a three pointer for Crusaders to start a 12-0 Crusaders run, that brought the home team up by 20, 78-56, with five minutes to go.

Westminster tried for the comeback, as Junior Williams tried to draw a foul on every play, but they never got closer than 16, and Crusaders closed the game with a rare Jeff Wadey three pointer for the final score of 89-69.

Outlook

Having won five of the last nine games Crusaders are now close to the coveted eighth position on the league that will qualify them for the playoffs, having the same number of wins as eight place Northumbria, but for two games more.

Next weekend they will play tenth place University of Birmingham on Saturday and second place Brixton Topcats on Sunday. Both games are away.

University of Birmingham picked up their only two wins of the season at home around the start of February, but have since lost three straight.

Brixton were riding a four game winning streak until they lost their last game to top team Durham.

Full stats: http://www.fibalivestats.com/matches/123/01/51/38/97IQWbSqPc9Y/