The No. 5 Holy Cross boys basketball team raced out to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter of their Class S second round game against No. 12 University on Wednesday night at The Pit.
The Crusaders let the Hawks back into the game at 16-13, then scored 12 of the final 16 points of the half to lead 28-17 at the break.
From there, Holy Cross kept University at bay and claimed a 65-44 foul-infested victory. The Crusaders move on to play No. 20 East Hampton in the quarterfinal round on Friday at Holy Cross.
WATR AM-1320 said gametime is 7:30, but the CIAC lists it as 7, so stay tuned for updates on that.
DeAndre Wallace led Holy Cross with 14 points and was tough again inside for the home team. Justin Strielkauskas and Jonathan Mowatt each tallied 11 points, according to WATR. Nyzair Rountree scored nine points, Dyllan Tyson had eight and Jack Potter added six for the Crusaders.
One thing Holy Cross will want to work on before Friday is foul shooting. The Crusaders were an awful 18-of-35 from the foul line. Strielkauskas struggled after making his first two, and he’s normally a better shooter. Expect Holy Cross to work on foul shooting in practice tomorrow and come out with more confidence on Friday.
Even with the poor foul shooting, the Crusaders move on to the quarterfinals. Next up is East Hampton, and that game is Friday. The winner gets the winner of No. 1 Immaculate and No. 8 Westbrook.