The Jesuit Men’s Basketball team defeated the Beaverton Beavers 68-58 in an intense Metro League rivalry to end the season. Last time the Crusaders faced the Beavers, it ended in a heartbreaking loss for the Crusaders, losing 47-48 in a hard fought battle.
The Crusaders will enter the playoffs as the No. 6-ranked team in the state, where they will face the Lakeridge Pacers on March 3, 2026 in the Knight Gym. The Beaverton Beavers will be ranked No. 23 and will face the Grant Generals.
The game was close the entire time, with the score being tied at half. The Crusaders were led by Joe Stimpson and Ryan Barone, who both led the offense for the Crusaders.
Joe Stimpson started the game off hot for the Crusaders, with the first quarter being an offensive battle and both teams struggling to stop each other from making it to the basket.
“We knew going into the game it was going to be a tough battle going into their gym with an electric atmosphere. As a team we were just looking to get the ball to the guys who were shooting well and we knew we could continue our momentum throughout the rest of the game,” senior Jake Sharp said.
Junior Chris Lowe put in a defensive shift for the Crusaders in the second quarter, bringing in a few rebounds and some major defensive stops in the paint. Senior Ryan Barone was also a key player for the Crusaders, hitting multiple important three pointers and shutting down the top of the key.
The game was all tied up going into halftime at 33-33, with both teams needing to focus on mitigating points in the low post.
“We knew it was going to be a back and forth battle, we knew going into the second half we needed to keep doing the stuff that was working and just focus on our defense,” senior Sam Curvy said.
The third quarter is where the crusaders started getting hot, with continuous adaptability and shots from Ryan Barone and important hustle plays from junior Penny Harrison.
The biggest issue for the Crusaders was stopping Beaverton’s Njenga Mungai, who finished the game with 33 points, consistently scoring and keeping the Beavers in the game.
The fourth quarter was similar to the third, Mungai continued to score for the Beavers but it wasn’t enough to allow the Beavers to walk away with the game.
The Jesuit Crusaders ended up walking away with the game 68-58 after a close game all throughout. This win was big for the Crusaders, beating a Metro League rival to close out the season who upset the Crusaders last time they played.
The Jesuit Crusaders men’s basketball team face the Lakeridge Pacers on March 3rd, 2026 in the Knight Gym to start their playoff run.
