WORCESTER, Mass. — Holy Cross women's basketball junior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan scored a career-high 21 points as the Crusaders dropped a season opening contest 78-74 against nonconference opponent Quinnipiac Monday evening in the Hart Center Arena.
 
Flanagan was the leading scorer for the Crusaders (0-1) producing 12 markers in the first half. She was also one dime shy (seven assists) of tying her personal-best. She was joined in double figures by senior Lindsay Berger (16 points), and juniors Meg Cahalan (12 points) and Simone Foreman (12 points). 
 
Karson Martin (game-high 25 points) and Gal Raviv (22 points) paced Quinnipiac (1-0) in the win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Berger got the game going by pushing strong to the net for two before the Bobcats scored six unanswered. 
• The Crusaders responded, and the teams traded points over the next few minutes. After a steal by junior Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly, a pass to junior Simone Foreman set her up under the net for a layup and and-one opportunity to put Holy Cross ahead 12-10 with less than two minutes to go in the opening frame. 
• With Holy Cross ahead 17-13 at the end of the first quarter, the Crusader defense began to find their rhythm. Rolling into the second quarter, Holy Cross maintained their momentum as the connection between Cahalan and Flanagan began to spark on the court. The duo combined to score 12 of the 20 Holy Cross points in the quarter, with Flanagan scoring seven and Cahalan producing five and assisting each other twice. 
• Holy Cross held a 37-32 advantage heading into halftime. The Crusaders took the court strong in the beginning of the second half, with their lead growing as high as 11 points, 45-34, with 8:05 to go in the third. 
• Holy Cross maintained its lead until midway through the third quarter before the Bobcats began to chip away getting a jumper giving Quinnipiac the lead.
• Cruising off the momentum, the Bobcats went on a 23-1 run, creating a 13-point edge and bringing the score to 63-50 by the end of the third quarter. 
• Holy Cross responded, with Flanagan scoring six of the Crusaders' next 14 points. With 12.3 seconds left on the clock, the Crusaders had possession down three points — 77-74 — but a three-point attempt fell short as Quinnipiac held on for the win. 

INSIDE THE BOX:

• Cahalan established a new career-high with six rebounds. 
• The Bobcats had a shot shooting third stanza going 11-of-15 (73.3 percent) from the field, but cooled off considerably in the fourth (3-for-16, 18.8%). 
• Quinnipiac out rebounded the Crusaders 14-to-3 on the offensive end and scored 15 second chance points compared to the Crusaders three.

UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross travels to UMass Lowell on Saturday, Nov. 9. With tip-off slated for 1 p.m.

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