The Crusader Classic lived up to its billing, as Iona Preparatory School took Archbishop Stepinac High School to overtime before the latter finally prevailed, 64-60.

Held January 3-4 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, the annual Slam Dunk Showcase basketball event featured two days of matchups for both boys’ and girls’ teams, culminating in the Crusader Classic between organizer Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders and rival Iona Prep Gaels on Saturday evening. Stepinac estimated that more than 3,500 fans stayed to watch the weekend’s final matchup.

The game began at a furious pace, with both teams trying to find their own rhythm. Iona Prep grabbed an early lead 11-4 lead, while Stepinac struggled both with shooting and rebounding. 

The White Plains school began to look more settled and began to come back in the second quarter but trailed 18-8 halfway through the period. Getting back to basics, including starting to make free throws, helped Stepinac to slow Iona’s roll, with Crusader junior Hassan Koureissi sinking two from the line to bring the score to 22-20 at the half.

Iona Prep Coach Tim Philp’s halftime talk must have been short, with his team re-emerging to shoot around just a few minutes aftter the break. Stepinac’s Patrick Massaroni took almost the full 12 minutes to talk to his team, seemingly to positive effect. 

Following the tip-off, Stepinac junior Jasiah Jervis gave his team an immediate lead with a three. The third quarter that followed was eight minutes of back and forth, with one team scoring, and their opponent answering. Iona Prep’s Dillon Callahan, who was steady throughout, drained a three to end the quarter with his team up 40-39.

The fourth quarter saw more back and forth, with neither team maintaining a lead. With the score tied 50-50 with just over two minutes to play, the pressure appeared to weight on both teams. Stepinac’s standout senior, Danny Carbuccia, traveled with 1:11 to go. Iona Prep then committed a shot clock violation with 40 seconds left. Each team then missed a shot, and it was on to overtime. 

In the additional period, Stepinac took a quick four point lead. Stepinac’s Jervis, who emerged as the second half’s steady hand, scored the first three. With 1:36 left, Iona’s Ray Fernandez was fouled on a three-point try and made all three free throws to bring his team within one, 57-56. Iona never led in the overtime, and a Koureissi steal sealed it for the Crusaders. A classic, indeed.

Stepinac’s Jervis finished with 24 and was named the game’s most valuable player. Koureissi contributed 18. Iona Prep’s Callahan scored 23.

“We had a rough start. At halftime, we talked, we went over where we needed to be,” Jervis said in a post-game interview while accepting his MVP trophy. “Danny does a great job, being the only senior,” he said of Carbuccia’s leadership.

Stepinac gets back to business Tuesday night with a trip to current Catholic High School Athletic Association boys’ basketball “AA” division leader St. Raymond’s High School for Boys, at that school’s campus in the Bronx, for a league game. Iona Prep also returns to action Tuesday, also on the road to the Bronx to visit Mount Saint Michael Academy, which is also a league game.