Caruso is BIG reason why Crusaders are climbing back as a GBB program

The Saxony Lutheran High School varsity girl’s basketball program is racing back to its place among the elite squads in Southeast Missouri this winter, and the play of 6-foot-2 senior center Evie Caruso is a BIG reason as to why, both literally and figuratively.

“She is more impressive and more confident in her abilities,” first-year Crusader coach Chris Crawford said of Caruso following a recent road win at Dexter.

Caruso put in 19 points in that win and exhibited agility and physical aggressiveness in battling at both ends of the court.

“She goes after the boards,” Crawford said. “She’s more physical. She’s more aggressive and she’s more confident.”

That confidence is growing with each outing, because the truth is, despite being a senior, Caruso as a basketball player is still “very young,” according to her coach.

“I believe that she just started playing in seventh or eighth grade,” Crawford said. “In her basketball career, she is very young.”

Crawford has seen Caruso grow on AND off the court after serving as an assistant coach over the past two seasons.

Despite her height, Crawford said that Caruso has the ability to score both inside and outside, which makes her very difficult to guard.

“She can shoot from (3-point range),” Crawford said. “I love to have her around the basket, but if she is open (then) she has the same green light as everybody else.

“That is a different dynamic than a lot of people have in their ‘bigs.’”

Caruso has the athleticism and agility to also play on the Crusaders’ tennis team, but Crawford said that her future is on the basketball court at the college level, and she is attracting interest in that regard.

Saxony Lutheran (13-6) has already matched last season’s victory total and still has at least six games remaining. A 14th victory in tonight’s home game against Poplar Bluff (6-11) at 7:30 p.m. will mark the most wins by the Crusaders since the 2020 season when Saxony Lutheran won 18 games and the eighth of eight straight MSHSAA District titles.

“Our defense has carried us,” Crawford said. “We are going to run and press, as we can. That is how we want to play.”

Since the new year, Saxony Lutheran has won six of its past eight games.