The Whitinsville Christian Crusaders opened their playoff run with a strong showing Tuesday night, knocking off No. 34-seeded Tahanto, 74-64, in a D4 preliminary game. The Crusaders carried momentum from a 15-5 regular season and leaned on a balanced attack to close out the win.
Ethan Curry led the way with 23 points while Gabe Deters added 20. J.V. DaSilva provided a steady hand off the bench with 10 points, and Eamon Moloney chipped in 13 points to round out a multi-pronged scoring effort. Whitinsville built a 34-24 lead at the half and managed the second half tempo to keep the Stags at bay, converting late possessions and cleaning the glass to limit second chances.
The win sets Whitinsville up for a Round of 32 showdown tomorrow night against a talented Millbury squad that entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed at 18-3. The Crusaders will be considerable underdogs, but their first-round execution, team rebounding, and ability to get balanced scoring will be key if they are to extend their season. Whitinsville will learn matchup details and prepare game plans to challenge the Woolies in what should be a difficult but energizing test.
