Crusaders win fourth game this week

BIG WEEK

We knew at the start of this week it was going to be a really big week for us, mentally and physically. So I think to come out with four wins is huge”

Layne Rung, HTC senior forward

FORT MADISON - Four wins in six days can be exhausting.
“First of all, I’m really tired,” Holy Trinity boys basketball coach John Hellige said. “But it’s great.”
“Oh, I’m tired,” senior Layne Rung said. “But it feels good.”
The Crusaders finished their run through the week with a 57-42 win over Fort Madison on Saturday at Shottenkirk Gym.
Holy Trinity (8-5) defeated Winfield-Mount Union on Monday, Danville on Tuesday, won at West Burlington on Friday, then took control of this game early and held off a late run by the Bloodhounds (1-11).
“We knew at the start of this week it was going to be a really big week for us, mentally and physically,” Rung said. “So I think to come out with four wins is huge.”
The Crusaders used a 19-2 run at the end of the second quarter for a 41-17 halftime lead, then scored the first two points of the second half before Fort Madison rallied.
“I think a lot of (the first-half run) was we've had a lot of success this week, and a lot of momentum on our side,” Hellige said. “And the kids get a little little more fired up to play the school down the block.”
“We’ve kind of gone into the second half of each game this week with a big lead,” said Rung, who scored 31 points. “We know that we can't just slow down. We’ve got to keep going.”
Fort Madison coach Ryan Wilson hoped his team could carry over some momentum from Friday’s win at Fairfield, the Bloodhounds’ first victory of the season. Fort Madison led twice in the first 45 seconds before Holy Trinity started to take control.
“We finished the half by turning the ball over six times in our last eight possessions,” Wilson said. “We weren't taking care of the ball. We just weren't stopping the ball. We were going through a phase where we just kind of didn't do anything constructive, and didn't play together, and it just ballooned and we’re down 24 at halftime.”
Rung got away from the Bloodhounds, scoring 22 points in the first half. Rung averaged 25.3 points during the week, and Wilson knew his team had to find a way to contain him.
“He just did the same thing he’s done all year,” Wilson said. “He's a great player. He gets in the basket, he can shoot the three, and we lost him. We talked about it in the shoot-around this morning. I said he’s hitting threes eight feet behind the 3-point line, and we have to be on him at all times. And we lost him.”
“He’s had targets on his back all week long, and he's responded all week,” Hellige said. “I don't know what he ended up with, but he had a great game. He's a fantastic player.”
“For each game, I go into it thinking if I get going early, it's going to be a great game.” Rung said. “My teammates believe in me, and they get me the ball.”
Fort Madison, though, made a second-half move. The Bloodhounds had a 12-2 run in the third quarter, outscoring the Crusaders 18-8 in the quarter, and got to within 51-40 with 2:42 to play before Rung hit a 3-pointer 23 seconds later.
“If we could have gotten within single digits with two, three minutes to go, anything can happen,” Wilson said. “But Rung’s shot, that was a dagger.”
Wilson liked his team’s second-half response.
“Our guys decided to fight and show a little heart and a little pride,” he said. “We had two choices, either fight back or go away with our tails between our legs. We fought back, but we have to start playing 32 consistent minutes.”
Nolan Guzman led Fort Madison with 13 points. Ezekiel Graves had 10.
Jack Ragar and Corbin Van Niewaal each had nine points for Holy Trinity.
It was a good week for the Crusaders.
“It gives us a lot of momentum,” Hellige said.