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It had been almost 29 minutes since Sam Lopez scored a point, but the Helias sophomore point guard stepped to the free-throw line with :31.8 on the clock, trying to put the Crusaders back in front. The first attempt nervously spun around the rim twice before falling through the net. The second attempt, to give Helias the lead, he swished it.
Here are capsule looks at the eight teams in the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic.
The Helias Crusaders and first-round wins in the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic have been synonymous with each other. Helias is playing in the Classic for the 25th straight season, and the Crusaders are 18-4 in first-round games when the tournament has been an eight-team format.