The Helias Crusaders just wanted to get back on the court.
With a two-game losing streak that had spanned nearly two weeks, Helias was itching to get a chance at another win.
The Crusaders' persistence finally paid off in the third quarter Friday night, scoring 31 points in those eight minutes to pull away to a 72-49 win against the Hickman Kewpies at Rackers Fieldhouse.
"We challenged our guys to come out and get back to playing the way we know we can," Helias coach Josh Buffington said. "We had to get guys to get back to producing for us.
"The guys played with confidence in the third quarter."
Before Helias found its rhythm in the second half, Helias junior Landon Harrison entered Friday's game with 998 career points. It wasn't a question of whether or not he would surpass 1,000 points during the game. It was a question of when it would happen.
That moment came at the 2:19 mark of the first quarter. Harrison was fouled and went to the line for two free throws. He hit both attempts and the game was stopped, as Buffington presented Harrison with a basketball to commemorate his milestone.
"I knew I was getting fouled and I knew I had a chance to get it right there," said Harrison, who entered the game as a career 82-percent free-throw shooter. "I was excited more than anything, I think. It got to me a little bit, but fortunately I got up there and knocked them down."
Harrison became the 11th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 points, reaching the mark in just 56 games.
"Since I've known the kid, he's always played and prepared like he has something to prove," Buffington said. "That's what I love most about him and that's not going to change. He's earned every single point."
Hickman still led 8-5 after Harrison's free throws. Alex Buschjost made Helias' first field goal at the 1:47 mark of the opening quarter and then drained a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to give the Crusaders a 13-12 lead.
The Kewpies regained the lead early in the second quarter, only to have the Crusaders charge back with a 10-2 run. Helias entered halftime with a 27-22 lead.
"We were just happy to go in the locker room with the lead," Buffington said. "We were giving them too many easy baskets in transition, too many run-outs. We had some breakdowns defensively and we were very stagnant offensively."
The Crusaders weren't stagnant in the third quarter.
Harrison, who finished with a game-high 28 points, made his first five shots of the second half. Harrison and Marcus Anthony teamed up to scored the Crusaders' first 12 points of the third quarter and extend the lead to 39-25.
Anthony, making his first career start Friday as a freshman, finished with 11 points.
"We all know how talented the kid is," Buffington said. "The sky is the limit for Marcus. His motor has gotten higher recently and he has really strung together some good practices in a row."
Hickman cut the deficit to seven points with a layup by Thomas Dutton midway through the quarter, but Helias then scored the game's next 17 points to head into the fourth quarter with a 58-34 lead.
The Crusders shot 73.3 percent - 11-of-15 - from the field in the third quarter, and made 6-of-9 shots from 3-point range.
"When shots are going in, it makes things a lot easier," Buffington said.
Helias led by as many as 26 points at 70-44 with two minutes to play in the game.
Nick Brandt added 11 points for Helias, going 3-of-5 from 3-point range. Eight different Crusaders scored.
Chase Thomas was the only player to reach double figures for Hickman (9-12), finishing with 23 points.
Helias (16-5) will play today at Rolla in a makeup game that was originally scheduled Jan. 13. The varsity game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
In Friday's JV game, Helias won 46-39 to improve to 13-3. Carter Toebben led the Crusaders with 14 points and Colby LeCuru added 12 points.