LOWELL, Mass. – The Holy Cross women's basketball team picked up their fifth straight win, a 62-57 victory against nonconference opponent Massachusetts-Lowell Sunday afternoon at the Costello Athletic Center.
Sophomore
Lindsay Berger paced the Crusaders (8-2) with a career-high 18 points while matching a personal-best with five assists shooting 6-for-8 (75.0%) from the floor and a perfect 6-for-6 (100%) from the free throw line. Junior
Cara McCormack came off the bench and scored 10 of her 12 markers in the first half hitting two triples. Classmate
Janelle Allen chalked up 11 points with five rebounds as well.
For Massachusetts-Lowell (1-8), Ivory Finley was one rebound shy of a double-double scoring a team-best 17 points in the setback.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- UML began the game outscoring the Crusaders 11-4 not missing a shot from the floor. From there, the Crusaders went on a 9-2 burst to tie the score getting a McCormack triple on the left wing coupled with a wide open layup on the right back. Finley scored her seventh point of the period via a three-pointer to regain the edge 16-13 through one.
- In the second quarter, McCormack gave the Crusaders their first lead by slashing through the left lane. On the next Crusader possession, they showed elite ball movement as McCormack dished to freshman Kaitlyn Flanagan in the corner and Flanagan found Berger for the hoop and harm underneath for the 27-23 advantage. The River Hawks trimmed the margin to two, but Flanagan regained the multiple score lead for the guests at the break.
- Berger played the catalyst for the Crusader offense early in the third. She dished a pass to junior Bronagh Power-Cassidy on the high post for three and followed up on the ensuing possession with an and1 to build the margin to six, 38-32. Freshman Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly drained a catch and shoot jumper on the left wing for the first double digit lead for Holy Cross, 43-32.
- The River Hawks would not go down quietly as they opened the fourth quarter on a 12-2 spurt to pull within one point, 49-48 when Finley buried a three-ball deep on the right wing. Following a timeout, the Crusaders answered with six straight points to regain a 55-48 margin. UML poured in six straight to make it a one point contest, 55-54 with 2:22 left. Holy Cross closed out the game going 7-of-8 (87.5%) at the charity stripe.
OUTSIDE THE BOX:
- Holy Cross has three comeback victories this season when trailing by seven or more points. (11 – Conn. College – 11/20, 9 – Stonehill – 12/8, 7 – Massachusetts-Lowell, 12/11).
- The Crusaders recorded their eighth win which ties Boston College and Massachusetts-Amherst for the most in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
- HC combined to go 18-for-26 (69.2%) from the floor in the fourth quarter this week. They held their opponents to 7-for-26 (26.9%) shooting in the final period.
POSTGAME THOUGHTS:
UP NEXT:
- The Crusaders conclude their nonconference slate on Tuesday, December 20 against Vermont.
- Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
- Season tickets and single-game tickets for the 2022-23 campaign are now on sale through the Holy Cross Ticket Office.
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
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