Having stood out as a knockdown 3-point shooter often this season, John Craw’s enthusiasm and effort were contagious Saturday night as he helped Boyd Buchanan to a second straight Division II-A East District 2 championship.
The 5-foot-8 guard had four offensive rebounds, blocked a shot at the end of the third quarter and made a putback basket before halftime as the Buccaneers built a lead they sustained in a 45-33 win at top-seeded Notre Dame.
“John was in there scrapping all night for us and was all over the place. I am so proud of him and Luke (Stum), who have waited patiently for their time to shine,” Boyd Buchanan coach Josh Templeton said. “Luke just made his season debut three games ago, and I didn’t think he would get to play this season because he broke his ankle in our first week of practice. But the toughness he provided us tonight in our starting lineup is what we all knew he could bring. They were both great.”
Caden Johnson had game-high 13 points, five assists and three steals for the Bucs (15-8), Ryan Lopez had eight points and four assists, and freshman Ace Bailey grabbed 10 rebounds.
“When things got hard, I wanted to be somebody that my teammates could look up to but at the same time let them be great, too,” Craw said. “We don’t have just one individual leader. Our whole team plays well together.”