Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Howard Lake, Lester Prairie, Winsted, Watertown, Mayer, New Germany, Waverly, MN and the surrounding area

KOVAR: Crusaders looking for history to repeat itself Tuesday night against Jordan


MAYER – In order for the Mayer Lutheran boys basketball team to win a second-straight conference title, they’re going to need history to repeat itself.

When the Crusaders host conference rival Jordan Tuesday night, it will once again be for a shot at the conference title. Just like a season ago, Mayer Lutheran will be looking to bounce back from a loss to the Hubmen earlier this year in search of another conference title.

In the 2017-2018 season, Mayer Lutheran fell to Jordan 88-77 on the road in their first matchup. That point total would be the most they allowed all season long.

In the second meeting between the Hubmen and Crusaders, Mayer Lutheran needed a win to at least clinch a share of  the conference title.

In that matchup, Mayer Lutheran locked in defensively, and held Jordan to just 46 points, as they picked up a huge win on their home floor to keep their conference title hopes alive. Those 46 points scored by the Hubmen in that game was the third-lowest scoring output by them all season for a team that averaged more than 70 points per game. Mayer Lutheran closed that game out on a 27-5 run in front of a packed gymnasium.

“That’s us,” Mayer Lutheran coach Pat Buchanan said in an interview following that game. “That’s us locking in. That’s when we started to work in the second half. The focus was on defense. They were our second game. We gave up 88. We looked in the mirror. That has not happened since.”

Come Tuesday night, the Crusaders will be looking for history to repeat itself once again. When the Crusaders take on the Hubmen on their home floor, they’ll need to pull off another big victory to keep their conference title hopes afloat.

Jordan defeated Mayer Lutheran earlier this season in another tight game. After the Crusaders had a four-point lead at the half, Jordan’s Ryan Samuelson and the Hubmen were too much for Mayer Lutheran in the second half.

Jordan outscored Mayer Lutheran 33-25 in the second half, and Samuelson finished with a game-high 35 points to lead the way for the Hubmen.

It’s a perfect matchup for these two teams as they gear up for another postseason run. Both teams made the state tournament last season, and Tuesday night’s game will surely have a playoff feel to it as the best two teams in the MN River Conference square off.

It’s a nice little appetizer for hoops fans to enjoy before the postseason begins. Get there early for a good seat and enjoy the beauty of high school basketball on full display.

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