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The Helias Crusaders did their best to slow down the speed of the Jefferson City Jays. But eventually, the Jays got running. Top-seeded Jefferson City beat fourth-seeded Helias 52-38 in the semifinals of the Class 5 District 5 Tournament on Friday at Capital City High School. The win gives the Jays revenge for the Crusaders ending their season last year in the Class 5 District 7 championship game.
The Helias Crusaders hit their first four shots, and five of their first six, and never looked back. The fourth-seeded Crusaders took the lead they would not give up with 6:20 left in the first quarter and built to a 64-49 win Wednesday against the fifth-seeded Union Wildcats in the first round of the Class 5 District 5 Tournament at Capital City High School.
The Helias Crusaders got out of their shooting funk Friday night. After back-to-back games of shooting less than 30 percent from the floor as a team, Helias made 51 percent of its shots against the Capital City Cavaliers. The Crusaders bounced back from their worst loss of the season with their most lopsided win of the year, defeating the Cavaliers 77-52 in Central Missouri Activities Conference play at Rackers Fieldhouse.
For the third consecutive year, excluding 2020 when the tournament was a four-team round robin, the Helias Crusaders found themselves in the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic third-place game. And for the third consecutive time, the Crusaders walked away with a win.
Nate Brandt controlled the Fatima offense early, but the Comets spread the ball around as they pulled ahead. Fatima scored the first 11 points, and 18 of the first 21, in the fourth quarter to build a 58-46 win Thursday night against the Helias Crusaders in the semifinals of the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic at Fleming Fieldhouse.