The games may not have counted, but Helias boys basketball coach Josh Buffington got exactly what he wanted in Friday night's Jamboree at Rackers Fieldhouse.
Three wins.
"Other coaches say that is maybe not one of their priorities," Buffington said. "That is one of ours. We want to win against the opponent we play against, even if it is a shortened game."
The Crusaders started the night with a 34-23 win against the Blair Oaks Falcons.
Helias' full-court pressure helped force 10 Blair Oaks turnovers in the two six-minute periods.
"This Jamboree tonight was almost like the course of a season," Buffington said. "It's easy to come out hyped in the first six-minute scrimmage. We've been practicing for three weeks.
"But can you be consistent with that intensity in your sixth six-minute scrimmage of the evening? It's not that easy. Some of the hype is gone, the nerves are gone. It's very similar to how the season goes."
Helias senior Landon Harrison, a returning all-state guard, led the Crusaders with nine points and three rebounds against Blair Oaks. Marcus Anthony added seven points.
Harrison came up big in Helias' next scrimmage against Jefferson City. The Crusaders held the ball for the last shot and Harrison knocked down a 19-footer from the top of the key with two seconds left for a 25-23 victory.
"Every time we play Jeff City, it's exciting," Buffington said. " You try to mimic special situations as much as you can in practice, but it's very hard to simulate that (ending). It was nice to get into a tight situation."
Nick Brandt finished with 10 points against the Jays, while Nathan Bax and Harrison added eight and seven points, respectively.
Helias' final scrimmage against Father Tolton was also decided in the final minute, but the Crusaders held on for a 27-24 win to finish the night 3-0.
The Crusaders trailed 6-0 after the opening minute but would take an 18-12 lead into the second period.
Tolton's Beau Washer knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Trailblazers a 23-22 lead with 1:25 to play, but Ben Cooper answered with a three on the other end to give the Crusaders back the lead for good.
"It was good to see our guys respond," Buffington said. " Just how quickly we got it out of the net, pushed it down the floor and got a good look within seven or eight seconds was nice."
Harrison had a team-high nine points against Tolton.
Helias won't open the season until Dec. 1 at St. Dominic.
"We're two weeks away, but it's going to go real quickly," Buffington said.