Christendom’s men’s and women’s basketball teams finished up their regular seasons at home with big wins this weekend, with the women’s team cruising past Patrick Henry 96-29 and the men’s team coming up huge against Manor College with a 75-65 victory. The wins secured winning seasons for both teams, along with trips to the Eastern States Athletic Conference Championship this coming week.
The women’s basketball team, nearing the finish line of one of their best seasons in program history, entered their Wednesday night game against Patrick Henry with only one loss in the entire month of February. They aimed to finish their season with ten wins in their previous eleven games and did just that, resoundingly defeating Patrick Henry 96-29 in front of a packed St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium. Mary Pennefather, a huge star for Christendom in her debut season, led the team with 30 points on the night, while Christendom phenom Catherine Thomas dropped 28 of her own in the game.
The team finishes their 2023-24 season with a 22-5 record — one of the best in school history. Next up for the women’s basketball team? The Eastern States Athletic Conference championship game this coming Saturday, while they also eagerly await word if they will be selected for the USCAA Nationals tournament next month.
The men’s basketball team, meanwhile, played their final two games of the season at home this past week, taking on Patrick Henry on Wednesday before playing Manor College on Saturday. The Patrick Henry game turned into an offensive powerhouse win for Christendom, with the team defeating Patrick Henry 88-40. John Fowler led the team in scoring in a breakout game for the young Crusader, dropping 21 points in the victory. Peter Ethridge scored 16 of his own in the win.
On Saturday, the team took on Manor College in their season finale, falling behind the team 41-35 in the first half. A rousing pep talk from head coach Jeremy Minick turned the tide for the team, however, and they came out hot in the second half, holding back Manor’s offense while wearing down their defense. Christendom outscored them 40-24 in the second half, pulling ahead to secure a 75-65 victory. John Paul Vander Woude played one of the best games of his season on Saturday, leading the team with 32 points. His brother, Bobby, scored 19 points as well, helping secure the big win for Christendom.
The team finished their regular season with a four-game winning streak and a 13-10 record, setting them up for a Conference Championship game this week as well.
For more information, visit christendomathletics.com.