THE BASICS:

• Score: Holy Cross 67, American 61 
• Records: Holy Cross (9-14, 5-5 PL); American (13-8, 8-2 PL) 
• Location: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
• The Lead: Holy Cross junior forward Raquel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.) scored a career-high 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and four steals to help lead the Crusaders to a 67-61 victory over American in Patriot League women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at Bender Arena.

TURNING POINT:

• With Holy Cross on top 12-10, the Crusaders embarked on a 17-4 rally to gain its largest lead of the game (29-16) with 5:36 on the clock. The 13-point margin would be enough, as Holy Cross would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Holy Cross doubled up American over the first 5:46 of the contest and took the 12-6 lead. American cut the margin to two points (12-10) less than two minutes later, but a 9-0 surge by the Crusaders gave them the 21-12 advantage (9:21).
• The Crusaders continued their offensive with an 8-4 run to gain the 29-16 lead at the 5:36-mark of the first half. American ended the period on a 6-0 run, but Holy Cross went into the locker room with the 29-22 lead. Scott tallied 16 first-half points for the Crusaders including 10 during the 17-4 run from 12:09 to 5:36.
• Holy Cross pushed its advantage to 12 points (44-32) at the 12:36-mark of the second half, but the Eagles rallied back and went on 12-2 rally to cut the deficit to two points (46-44) with 8:35 on the clock.
• The Crusaders scored seven quick points to gain the 53-44 lead (6:32), but American again responded, this time with a 10-4 run to make it a three-point game (57-54; 3:37).
• The two teams traded buckets over the next two possessions, but Scott hit two free throws to give Holy Cross the 63-58 lead with 35 second on the clock. American responded with a three-pointer on the other end to cut the margin to 63-61 (0:30), but Crusader junior forward Lisa Mifsud (Erie, Pa.) went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line to ice the game and lift Holy Cross to the 67-61 victory.

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS:

• In addition to Scott for Holy Cross, senior forward Emily Parker (Johnston, Iowa) totaled eight points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Mifsud tallied 15 points and a game-high five assists, while freshman guard Infiniti Thomas-Waheed (Newton, Mass.) posted five points, four rebounds and four assists.
• American was led by Jen Dumiak, who recorded a 30-point, 11-rebound double-double. Michelle Holmes also posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

TEAM STATISTICS:

• The Crusaders shot a season-best 51.0 percent from the field (25-49), while they limited the Eagles to 36.7 percent from the floor (22-60).
• Holy Cross canned 5-of-14 from behind the arc (35.7%), while American only hit on 4-of-18 from downtown (22.2%).
• The Crusaders, who missed their first four free throws of the game, hit their final 12 from the charity stripe for a 12-of-16 clip (75.0%).
• American held the statistical edge in points in the paint (30-28), points off turnovers (26-10) and second-chance points (15-11).

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Holy Cross is 18-15 all-time in games against American, while the Eagles are now 9-8 in games versus the Crusaders in Washington, D.C.

UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 4, when it travels to Hamilton, N.Y. to take on Colgate at 7:00 p.m.

BE PART OF THE ACTION:

• To purchase single game tickets for the 2014-2015 Holy Cross women's basketball season, visit GoHolyCross.com/Tickets or call the ticket office at (508) 793-2573.

STAY CONNECTED:

• There are numerous ways to keep connected with the Holy Cross women's basketball team. You can follow the team on Twitter and Facebook as well as on Instagram.
• You can also get the latest news and results on the team sent directly to your e-mail. To sign up for e-mail alerts click here: http://www.goholycross.com/list-signup.