WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross women's basketball team's historic season will continue after earning an automatic bid to the 2022 Postseason Women's Basketball National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Crusaders will square off against Columbia in New York City, Wednesday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. on Schiller Court. The game will stream through ESPN3 and be shown locally on SNY.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS (20-10, 14-4 PL): 

• In their last meeting, Holy Cross was stunned by Jennifer Coleman's circus buzzer-beating three-pointer as no. 8 seed Navy pulled off the 50-49 upset over the top-seeded Crusaders. Senior Avery LaBarbera double-doubled for the 18th time this season scoring a team-high 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the defeat.
• LaBarbera was named the Patriot League Player of the Year at the end of the season. She became the 12th Player of the Year in program history and the ninth different student-athlete to win the honor. Head coach Maureen Magarity took home Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Crusaders to the 22nd 20-win season in program annals and a team record 14 conference victories. Junior guard Addisyn Cross was selected to the All-Defensive team as well.
• As a team, the Crusaders rank 27th in the NCAA in scoring defense (55.8), 38th in 3PT FG% defense (27.6%), and 47th in FG% defense (36.8%).
• Individually, LaBarbera ranks fourth in the NCAA in defensive rebounds per game (8.7), 13th in double-doubles (18), and 18th in free throw percentage (87.9%). Standing 5-foot-6, LaBarbera is the top rebounder in the nation of any player under 5-foot-9.
   

HOLY CROSS IN THE WNIT:

• This is only the second appearance in team history in the WNIT for the Crusaders. Holy Cross last played in the WNIT back on March 14, 2002, a 70-63 defeat to Vermont in Burlington.
   

SCOUTING THE LIONS (22-6, 12-2 IVY): 

• Columbia is coming off a 77-59 loss to the no. 1 seed and no. 24 nationally-ranked Princeton in the Ivy League Championship Game on Saturday. Four players scored in double-figures for the lions including Abbey Hsu who dropped a team-best 16 points with three rebounds and two steals. Kaitlyn Davis nearly double-doubled with 10 points and nine boards. Columbia set the program record in wins (22).
• Davis was an All-Ivy League First Team selection when postseason honors were announced. She ranked 11th in the conference in scoring (12.8), third in rebounding (8.5), fourth in blocks per game (1.3), and 10th in steals per contest She recorded the second-highest field goal efficiency (48.5) in the league.
• Hsu garnered Second Team honors for the Lions. One of the NCAA's premier three-point assassins, Hsu is third in DI in three-point field goals per game (3.46), third in three-point attempts (256), and fourth in three-point conversions (97). Hsu is the third leading scorer in the Ivy League (16.4) while ranking, second in three-point percentage (37.9%),
• Guard Carly Rivera averaged 5.1 assists per game, the second-highest total in the conference. She recorded nine games of seven or more assists including a career-high nine twice (at Penn, vs. Harvard)
• As a team, the Lions are 14th in the nation in rebounds per game (42.6), 20th in defensive rebounds per game (29.2), and 23rd in assists per game (16.1). Columbia paces the Ivy League in blocks per game (4.1) and free throw attempts (497).
   

LAST TIME THEY MET: 

• This is the first meeting between the two programs.
   

UP NEXT: 

• The winner of this game will take on the winner of the Old Dominion/Towson contest in the second round on March 19-22.