Lyons, Badyrka lead Crusaders to Lynett Crown
By: Nate Johns | Sportzwire | December 30, 2024 | Photo courtesy Brad Loff
The Holy Cross Crusaders won the 73 annual Lynett Memorial Tournament on December 29 with the help of two very familiar names, Matt Lyons and Adam Badyrka. The Crusaders pulled out the victory 51-35 over the reigning champs in the Scranton Knights, who beat Holy Cross in last year’s final 48-46. Lyons and Badyrka led the crusade this time around, scoring 37 of the team’s 51 points. Lyons also acted as a force on the glass, snagging nine rebounds. Badyrka played his part by knocking down four threes.
For the Crusaders, the game started slow and the first quarter ended with a score of 8-5 in favor of the Knights. Both teams went scoreless for the final 3:57 of the first quarter, and Jayden Burrell of Scranton led all scorers with four points. Both teams played outstanding defense, forcing several turnovers and suboptimal shots. But then it seemed like a switch flipped in the second, as Badyrka hit three triples in the frame and the Crusaders took a 20-11 lead into halftime. In that second quarter, Scranton only made one field goal and scored three points.
Scranton continued to fight in the second half, as Pedro Lugo added five points in the third quarter. His counterpart, Lyons, added seven points in the quarter for Holy Cross. The Crusaders went on to win 51-35, with Badyrka finishing with 17 points and Lyons with 20. Mario Matrone and CJ Thompson added six points each for Holy Cross, and Jonathan Levine added 10 for Scranton. Scranton will return to the court on January 2 to face Scranton Prep on the road, and Holy Cross will hit the road the same day to face off against Old Forge.
