LANSDALE- Although they might not be in the same league, when the Crusaders and Knights meet up, it is a must watch game no matter the sport being played.  The two teams met up on the basketball court Tuesday night, for a very entertaining game.

“It was just a great atmosphere, a lot of fun to be a part of.  Unfortunately we just came up on the wrong side of the ledger,” Head Coach John Conrad said.

The North Penn Knights (1-2) lost to the Lansdale Catholic Crusaders (2-1) 63-55.  The Knights were without junior starter Josh Jones along with Carter Houlihan coming off the bench.

The Crusaders won possession of the ball off the opening tip and after a couple offensive rebounds, Hunter Healy scored the game’s first points.  Rob Carangi, who has been on fire from behind the arc, made a three to give the Knights a 3-2 lead with 5:33 left in the first quarter.  LJ Phillips responded with a layup to make it 4-3 game in LC’s favor.  Billy Coley returned the favor on the other side of the court with a three but Phillips came back with a three of his own and LC had a 7-6 lead.  With 2:20 left in the first quarter, Joe Larkins made a three to give North Penn a 9-7 lead and the first quarter ended with the score at 12-10 with the Knights in the lead.

A three point battled ensued in the second quarter with a total of 6 three-pointers between the two teams in the quarter.  The game remained close and the Crusaders retook the lead off a layup from Kellen Ward.  Coley, in his first varsity start, got an offensive rebound and put it back up and in as the Knights had a 25-24 lead.  With 1:37 left in the first half, Liam McDonnell made a three as the Crusaders went up 27-25.

Coley drove to the basket with 28 seconds left and made a layup to tie the game at 27, where the score remained for the rest of the half.

In the opening possession of the third quarter, Larkins found Matt Swanson for a bucket and the Knights were out in front 29-27.  However, the score went back and forth for awhile.  Ward made a jumper to tie it up.  Larkins made a three followed by a three from Sean Gibbons.  Healy went to the line and sank one free throw and the Crusaders took a 1-point lead, but Swanson tied it up at 33 with a free throw of his own.  McDonnell made a three but North Penn responded with one of their own.  After the back and forth action, the third quarter ended with score at 47-44 and the Crusaders on top.

Then after playing a tight game, the Knights did not keep up as the Crusaders built on a lead and after a layup and a converted and-one free throw from Ward, the Crusaders went up by double digits, 57-47.  The Knights cut the loss to 63-55 before the game was done.  Their next game is Thursday, in the second game of a girls-boys basketball doubleheader agains the Souderton Indians.

“Just keep going to work, be able to keep doing what we do,” Coach Conrad said regarding the message for Thursday’s game.

North Penn: Pulugura 3 pts, Swanson 5 pts, Dolan 6 pts, Chaffee 7 pts, Larkins 10 pts, Coley 11 pts, Carangi 13 pts

Lansdale Catholic: Gibbons 4 pts, Casey 7 pts, Healy 7 pts, Ward 9 pts, Hicks 11 pts, McDonnell 11 pts, Phillips 14 pts