WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross women's basketball team used a 20-0 scoring run to pull away from Patriot League opponent Loyola (Md.) Monday night defeating the visitors 63-48 in the Hart Center Arena.
Four players for the Crusaders (10-6, 4-1 PL) achieved double figures in a balanced scoring attack. Seniors
Madison Demski and
Oluchi Ezemma tallied contest bests with 12 points apiece while sophomore
Cara McCormack chipped in 10 points of her own. For the seventh straight contest, senior
Avery LaBarbera recorded a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 12 caroms. LaBarbera also reached the 500 career rebound milestone in the duel. Loyola (3-12, 0-5 PL) was paced by Lex Therien's nine points and game-best 15 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Greyhounds took their first edge 3-2 off a Caramina Tanedo triple. Sophomore Janelle Allen responded by feeding Demski in the post to regain the one-point lead for the Crusaders a minute into the contest. Loyola took their final lead of the first half at the 5:16 mark thanks to a Charia Roberts jumper. LaBarbera gave the Crusaders a four-point margin hitting a deep triple on the wing with 57 seconds left in the first at 17-13.
- Holy Cross began the second on a 12-2 outburst capped off by a McCormack to Ezemma lay-in. With 1:18 to go before the break, Keegan Douglas knocked down a trifecta which trimmed the deficit to single digits at the break.
- Loyola came out of the locker room on a mission exploding for 11 straight points to take their last lead of the game at 35-32 thanks to a Bri Rozzi three. The Crusaders kept battling back and jumped out to a five-point lead off another McCormack to Ezemma connection. Two Taleah Dixon freebies deadlocked the margin at 40. Allen immediately made her presence felt in the post banking in a layup for the hoop and harm. Ava Therien responded with a bucket.
- From that point on, Holy Cross put together an impressive stretch, a 20-0 run that spanned 6:45 which Demski ended with a three-ball putting her squad ahead 63-42. Loyola scored the final six points of the game.
OUTSIDE THE BOX:
- Junior Addisyn Cross drew four fouls in the fourth quarter, two of them were charges.
- Demski put home eight points during the 20-0 run going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from distance.
- LaBarbera (1,205 career points) moved into 20th place on the all-time scoring list.
- Holy Cross shot 4-for-7 (57%) at the top of the point from three-point land.
UP NEXT:
- The Crusaders will wrap up their three game home stand on Wednesday when they welcome Lafayette (7-7, 3-1 PL) to campus on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
