Friday night's Jamboree hosted by Helias gave the home team a little bit of a surprise.
While the Crusaders were the only boys team to score 40 or more points in both scrimmages, the defense showed it's still in the early season stages.
"This was almost a reverse of what you think might happen," Helias head coach Josh Buffington said. "Most times you struggle offensively and it's a bit of a roller coaster, but then your defense is more stable. Tonight we thought our offensive efficiency was great and defensively we found a lot of things we need to work on."
The Crusaders started the night in Rackers Fieldhouse, playing a game against Fatima made up of three six-minute periods. Helias led 14-4 after one, 27-16 after two and 41-26 when it ended.
Landon Harrison was perfect in the game, hitting all five of his shots - including four from beyond the arc - while scoring a game-high 14 points. Trevor Koelling chipped in with 11 points.
"We shared the ball well and the kids really played within the system," Buffington said.
Helias then played Blair Oaks in a two-period game in the Helias Gym, with both periods lasting seven minutes. Despite the shorter time period, the Crusaders still hit 40 in a 40-33 win.
Helias was up 20-11 after one period, got the lead up to 10 in the second and held on despite letting the lead slip down to three late in the contest.
"(In the Jamboree) you're getting time and score situations you maybe haven't worked on, so that's good," Buffington said. "We've had some teams in the past that have struggled when shots weren't going in, and we had to grind it out to maintain the lead. So I thought our guys did a good job of closing."
Harrison and Koelling tied for the team lead with 12 points, while Koelling led all players with eight rebounds.
"I was definitely pleased with our intensity all night long and our effort," Buffington said. "Our guys were ready to play somebody different and we got to see that we can really work on some things offensively and defensively."
Helias opens the season Dec. 3 in Springfield in the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Classic.
Additional coverage for this Jamboree:
Blair Oaks plays in Jamboree with less than full roster
Lady Falcons fall in Jamboree contests
Bunch stars for Fatima at Jamboree
Comets learning from losses in Jamboree
Helias offense shines at Jamboree
Lady Crusaders get Eagan era off on right foot