WORCESTER, Mass. – Fresh off winning the Patriot League regular-season championship, Holy Cross women's basketball senior Avery LaBarbera and head coach Maureen Magarity earned postseason major awards, as LaBarbera was named the Player of the Year and Magarity was named the Coach of the Year, the league office announced on Friday, March 4. LaBarbera also earned All-Patriot League first team honors, while junior Addisyn Cross was selected to the All-Defensive Team.

LaBarbera became the ninth student-athlete in program history to earn Player of the Year recognition, and the first since Brianna McFadden brought the honors to Worcester in 2008. It is the second major award in LaBarbera's career, as she was selected as the 2018-19 Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

"Avery will leave Holy Cross as one of the best to ever play here," Magarity said. "She has dealt with pressure and expectations her whole career, being Rookie of the Year and an All-League selection, but always finds a way to stay hungry and focused. Her versatility and willingness to lead has been remarkable this season. She is the fiercest competitor I have ever coached and I'm so proud of not only her individual accomplishments, but also the way she led us to a regular season title. We are so proud of Avery!"

The BIG WEEK continues...

Our BIG guard @averylabarbera is...

The @PatriotLeague Player of the Year!

??????#GoCrossGo pic.twitter.com/zLjdTp13fV
— Holy Cross Women's Basketball (@HCrossWBB) March 4, 2022
 

A two-time All-Patriot League Second Team selection (2019-20, 2020-21), LaBarbera started and played in all 29 games for the Crusaders during the 2021-22 season. LaBarbera led the Crusaders in scoring (16.2), rebounding (9.8), assists (4.2), and steals (1.5) per game while shooting a team-best 88.5 percent from the charity stripe in 36.1 minutes per game, adding in 17 double-double efforts. Winning the Patriot League Player of the Week honors three times, LaBarbera paced the conference in free throw percentage, while tying for second in scoring, third in rebounding and fourth in assists.

In conference play, LaBarbera stepped up her game, averaging a double-double – 17.9 points and 11.2 rebounds – ranking second in the league in both points and rebounds, as well as third in assists (4.6) and a PL high 86.8 percent free throw efficiency.

One of the program's all-time greats, LaBarbera scored her 1,000th career point versus Dartmouth on Nov. 16 and grabbed her 500th career rebound at home against Loyola (Md.) on Jan. 17. 

In the team history books, LaBarbera currently has the all-time best free throw percentage (87.0 percent), ranks second in average minutes played (34.7), third in three-point field goals made (210), third in three-point attempts (627), seventh in double-doubles (20), seventh in field goals attempted (1,319), tied for seventh in scoring average (13.7) and eighth in minutes played (3,640).

Completing her second season overall at the helm on Mount St. James, Magarity and her team responded from a 1-3 start to finish the slate with a 20-9 overall record, including a 14-4 record in Patriot League play The 20-win season was the 22nd in the history of the program, and the team's 14 conference wins bested the previous record of 13, set in 2002-03 (13-1). As bench boss at Holy Cross, Magarity has accumulated a 27-17 overall record and a 21-11 Patriot League record over her tenure. She has coached two major award winners, with LaBarbera and the 2020-21 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, Bronagh Power-Cassidy in each campaign. 

? A 20-win season.
? Program record 14 PL wins.
? PL regular-season championship.
? @PatriotLeague Coach of the Year.

Congratulations, @CoachMagarityHC!#GoCrossGo pic.twitter.com/HAOLEi9Saz
— Holy Cross Women's Basketball (@HCrossWBB) March 4, 2022
 

Typically guarding the opponent's best guard, Cross earned her first Patriot League postseason honor in her three-year career. She became the fourth different Crusader to be named to the All-Defensive Team, and it marks the third consecutive year Holy Cross has had a representative on the All-Defensive Team. Cross, who constantly puts her body on the line taking charges and diving on the floor, ranked 11th in the league in steals per game (1.3) and 13th in conference games (1.2). She was one of the main catalysts of a stingy Crusader defensive unit that leads the Patriot League in opponent field goal percentage (36.9), second in scoring defense (56.0) and opponent three-point percentage (27.3). Those marks rank 53rd, 31st and 35th in Division I respectively. The Crusaders posted a 19-2 record when holding opponents under 60 points.

"Addy is the anchor of our team defense and takes pride in guarding the opponent's best player every game," Magarity said. "She is relentless and is always willing to sacrifice her body for the team. Addy's work ethic is unmatched, and we couldn't be happier that she has received the recognition she deserves."

.@aqcross has the clamps...

Also a @PatriotLeague All-Defensive team honor!

????D#GoCrossGo pic.twitter.com/IRszzFfwAF

— Holy Cross Women's Basketball (@HCrossWBB) March 4, 2022

The Crusaders will take on the winner of the contest between No. 9 seed Colgate and No. 8 seed Navy on Monday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m. during the 2022 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women's Basketball Championship in Worcester. Tickets can be purchased at goholycross.com/tickets.
 
2021-22 Women's Basketball All-Patriot League Teams and Major Awards

Player of the Year: Avery LaBarbera, Holy Cross, Sr., G
Defensive Player of the Year: Jennifer Coleman, Navy, Sr., G
Rookie of the Year: Lex Therien, Loyola Maryland, Fr., F
Coach of the Year: Maureen Magarity, Holy Cross
 
First-Team All-Patriot League
Jade Edwards, American, Sr ., G
Sydney Johnson, Boston University, Jr., G
Taylor O'Brien, Bucknell, Sr., G
Avery LaBarbera, Holy Cross, Sr., G
Jennifer Coleman, Navy, Sr., G
 
Second-Team All-Patriot League
Alisa Fallon, Army West Point, Sr., G
Cecelia Collins, Bucknell, Fr., G
Emma Grothaus, Lehigh, Sr., F
Mackenzie Kramer, Lehigh, So., G
Lex Therien, Loyola Maryland, Fr., F

Third-Team All-Patriot League*
Taylor Brown, American, Sr., F
Emily Fisher, American, Sr., G
Sabria Hunter, Army West Point, Jr., F
Maren Durant, Boston University, Jr., F
Caitlin Weimar, Boston University, So., F
Jessica Booth, Lafayette, Jr., G

Patriot League All-Defensive Team^
Emily Fisher, American, Sr., G
Maren Durant, Boston University, Jr., F
Marly Walls, Bucknell, Sr., G
Addisyn Cross, Holy Cross, Jr., G
Naomi Ganpo, Lafayette, Sr., C
Jennifer Coleman, Navy, Sr., G
 
Patriot League All-Rookie Team
Alex Giannaros, Boston University, Fr., G
Cecelia Collins, Bucknell, Fr., G
Taylor Golembiewski, Colgate, Fr., G
Abby Antognoli, Lafayette, Fr., G
Lex Therien, Loyola Maryland, Fr., F
 
* Due to a tie in voting, there are six members on the third team.
^ Due to a tie in voting, there are six members on the all-defensive team.