Notre Dame, Ind. — Holy Cross men’s basketball put together a determined second-half push on Wednesday night inside McKenna Arena, but a late run from Trinity Christian handed the Saints a narrow 75–69 loss in their CCAC opener.
The Saints started the night with AJ Roseman, Beau Barhams, Jayden Sanders, Donovan Waleskowski, and Davide Brembilla leading the charge. After a slow offensive start in the first half, Holy Cross trailed 39–28 heading into the locker room. But the Saints came out energized after halftime, attacking the rim, tightening their defense, and quickly chipping away at the deficit.
Holy Cross delivered an impressive 41-point second half, swinging momentum repeatedly as the game featured 6 ties and 14 lead changes. The Saints briefly grabbed the lead midway through the final period and continued to battle possession-by-possession until the final two minutes.
Jayden Sanders anchored the offense with a standout performance, scoring 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting while adding 8 rebounds and a steal. Donovan Waleskowski followed with 18 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and pulling down 2 boards.
AJ Roseman contributed 9 points, 3 assists, and 4 steals, giving the Saints energy on both ends of the floor. Davide Brembilla added 6 points and 6 rebounds, while Beau Barhams added 4 points, 1 assist, and a rebound from the starting group.
Off the bench, Asher Puhalski provided a spark with 4 points and 5 rebounds, with Karl Birgisson adding 4 points of his own. Joe Kelly also chipped in 4 points in his minutes, helping the Saints stay competitive throughout the second half.
Holy Cross shot 48.2% from the field, significantly improving after halftime, and were 75% from the foul line on the night. Trinity Christian edged the Saints in shooting efficiency, finishing at 52.9%, which ultimately proved to be one of the deciding factors in a game that remained tight from start to finish.
Holy Cross now sits at 4–3 (0–1 CCAC) and will look to bounce back in their next matchup on Saturday November 22nd against Calumet. Tipoff is set for 3PM