NEW YORK – The Holy Cross women's basketball season came to an end Wednesday evening in the 2022 Postseason Women's Basketball National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) first round with an 80-69 setback to Columbia at Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.
Senior
Avery LaBarbera was one of three Crusaders (20-11) in double-figures scoring a team-high 21 points with a game-best eight rebounds and a career-high eight steals. Junior guard
Addisyn Cross dropped a career-high 13 points scoring eight of those markers in the first half on 6-for-10 (60%) shooting. Sophomore
Janelle Allen tallied 11 points, six rebounds, a career-high five assists, and two blocks.
For Columbia (23-6), Abbey Hsu poured in a game-best 24 points going 5-for-9 (55.5%) from distance. Hsu handed out a contest-high seven assists and snared six rebounds. Jaida Patrick had 18 points in 33 minutes while Kaitlyn Davis was an unblemished 9-for-9 at the free throw line for 15 points.
The Lions advance to the WNIT second round and will play the winner of the Old Dominion/Towson contest March 19-22.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Allen converted a mid-range jumper from the right elbow to give the Crusaders the early 4-3 edge. At the 6:55 mark, Cross sliced from the right wing to the left side of the rack for two. A senior Madison Demski second chance layup regained the margin to Holy Cross at 8-7. Over the final 4:55 of the quarter, Columbia went on an 11-4 run to lead 18-12 at the end of one.
- Trailing by eight, 24-16, the Crusaders used an 8-2 mini spurt to come within two, 26-24. Cross made an impressive move to the hoop for two then drew an offensive foul on the next possession. LaBarbera then found a wide-open sophomore Bronagh Power-Cassidy in the left corner for three to bring it to a one-possession game at the media timeout. Following the media stoppage, the Lions dumped in six straight to regain the eight point margin. LaBarbera began to heat up scoring the Crusaders' final seven markers including a triple from the WNIT logo as the guests trailed 38-33 at the half.
- A Davis hoop and harm with a free throw conversion and a Sienna Durr layup expanded the Lions' advantage to a high of 12, 55-43 at the 2:32 mark. Holy Cross scored the final six points to diminish the deficit to two scores, 55-49 through three.
- Demski pulled her squad within three, 55-52 draining a catch a shoot trifecta on the left wing. Over the next 1:47, Columbia produced a 9-2 binge to regain the double-digit lead 64-54. After the media stoppage, Hannah Pratt hit a corner three-ball regaining the 10-point lead. The Crusaders battled until the final whistle as a LaBarbera and1 brought them within eight, 72-64.
OUTSIDE THE BOX:
- The Crusaders drew three offensive fouls in the first quarter and four in the first half (Allen, LaBarbera, McCormack, Cross).
- Hsu set the Ivy League record for three-point conversions in a season (100). She also set the Columbia program mark at 167.
- LaBarbera's eight steals were tied for the second most during a single game in program history. The last player to record eight thefts in a contest was Maggie Fontana versus American on February 21, 2003.
- LaBarbera finished her Holy Cross career as the program's all-time leader in free throw percentage (86.5%) (minimum 150 made), also ranking second in average minutes played (34.8), third in three-point field goals made (212), third in three-point field goal attempts (644), sixth in minutes played (3,718), seventh in scoring average (13.8), seventh in double-doubles (21), and seventh in field goals attempted (1,361).
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE:
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