The Helias Crusaders wanted to make their opponents uncomfortable Thursday night by putting as much pressure on the ball handler as possible.
They certainly accomplished that and it led to three wins in the Helias Jamboree at Rackers Fieldhouse.
Helias opened play with a 30-10 victory against Blair Oaks, then defeated Jefferson City 23-18 and closed out the night with a 30-23 win against Father Tolton.
"I was very pleased with how we played," Helias coach Joe Rothweiler said. "I kind of set a goal out to our guys to come out and battle and try to be the toughest team physically and to share the basketball. "And they stepped up to every goal that we had written on the board pregame. Very satisfied with the way we played."
Helias opened the game against the Blair Oaks Falcons with a 10-1 run, capped off by a Marcus Anthony 3-pointer from the wing with 57 seconds left in the first of two six-minute quarters.
A charge against the Falcons gave Helias the ball before that 3-pointer.
"I challenged the guys pregame to take six charges within the three scrimmages and I think we got seven," Rothweiler said. "That's one stat area last year we really struggled with. Now we've got several guys out there ready to sacrifice their bodies."
Helias went back and forth with the Jays until making the plays at the end to win it.
Colby LeCuru gave Helias the lead for good with a 3-pointer to make it 19-18 with 1:05 left.
"We have some shooters," Rothweiler said. "When we move the basketball like we did tonight, those shooters get wide open looks. We've got some guys that pass up good looks and I get mad at them and pull them out of the game because they're not shooting when its a good shot. They are starting to realize I'm not going to get mad if they shoot that shot, so take that shot."
Helias led the Trailblazers 18-8 after the first quarter and led 28-13 with 2:39 left before Tolton closed the game on a 10-2 run.
Helias opens the season Nov. 29 in the Parkview Tournament.
"We've got a really tough schedule coming up," Rothweiler said. "Every team in the field down there is good and it doesn't get any easier than that.
"We still have a lot of work to do. We've got to get more consistent. We did have some lulls tonight where we just didn't quite share the ball like we wanted to."