CHS Basketball defeated perennial Western New York power Jamestown Saturday to win the Tom Keenan Memorial Tournament for the 12th straight year.
Nicholas Purdie '25 earned MVP honors as the Crusaders beat Jamestown, 45-30, at Bernard J. Kennedy '49 Field House in the 17th edition of the Keenan Tournament.
Purdie had 14 points while
Alex Hayes '24 added 10.
The team trophy and MVP award were presented by Kathy Keenan, Tom's wife.
Named after the former dean of students and head basketball coach who passed away in 2003 after a battle with cancer, the Tom Keenan Memorial Basketball Tournament consistently features some of the top teams and talent in New York State and beyond. This year, Canisius welcomed Hutch-Tech High School from Buffalo, Jamestown High School and St. John Henry Newman High School from Canada.
In his 10 seasons at the helm, Tom Keenan led his Canisius Crusader teams won three Manhattan Cup titles as the Monsignor Martin High School Athletic Association champion, with the titles coming in consecutive years (1996, 1997 and 1998). Canisius also won Class C catholic state championships in 1996, 2000 and 2001. He was the coach of current coach
Kyle Husband '96. Keenan coached his final three seasons while battling cancer.
In Saturday's consolation game, St. John Henry Newman (Ontario) beat Hutch-Tech, 40-32.
On Friday, Purdie led in the team scoring with 23 as Canisius routed Hutch-Tech, 99-29. Other key contributors were Patrick Benzer '24 with 16,
Charles Graber '24 with 15, and Hayes with 10.
Jamestown beat St. John Henry Newman, 66-48, on Friday.
Next up the Crusaders open up Monsignor Martin Athletic Association play against Cardinal O'Hara on Wednesday, Dec. 13 in Tonawanda.
