IOWA CITY, Iowa — The No. 16 Holy Cross women's basketball team's season came to an end in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the Crusaders fell to No. 1 Iowa, 91-65, in a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Bronagh Power-Cassidy led three Crusaders (21-13) with double-figure points, scoring a team-high 19 points with four 3-pointers, four rebounds, three assists and three steals in her Holy Cross finale. Senior Janelle Allen powered through the post, dropping 18 points with three boards and two assists. Senior Cara McCormack chipped in 11 points, five rebounds, three triples and two steals.

Caitlin Clark scored a game-high 27 points with 10 assists, eight rebounds and three steals for the Hawkeyes (30-4). Iowa advances to the second round and will play the winner of the game between No. 8 West Virginia and No. 9 Princeton on Monday, March 25. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Allen drove the paint for an easy two to give the Crusaders a 6-5 lead at the 6:46 mark in the first quarter. Iowa gained the lead back before Power-Cassidy drilled a triple for the 11-10 edge over the Hawkeyes before the media timeout. After the media, the Hawkeyes used a 10-0 run over the next few minutes to take a 20-11 advantage. Holy Cross rallied late in the frame, closing the quarter on a 10-3 burst with Power-Cassidy scoring nine points to trail 23-21 through one.
•  Iowa outscored the Crusaders 25-9 in the second quarter, beginning the stanza with a 15-3 scoring binge to lead 38-24 with 4:32 left. A Power-Cassidy and-one brought the margin to 11, 38-27. Iowa led by 18 at the break.
• Holy Cross kept fighting in the third, beginning the quarter on a 6-3 mini spurt to trail by 15, 51-36, with 8:02 left. One of two at the line for Iowa built the margin to 23, 71-48. Power-Cassidy's 19th point on a nifty post move brought Holy Cross within 71-50 at the end of three.
• The Hawkeyes' lead expanded to a game-high 31 at the 4:23 mark of the fourth quarter.

OUTSIDE THE BOX:

• Clark finished with six turnovers, five of which happened in the first quarter.
• The Crusaders attempted a season-high 34 3-pointers.
• Power-Cassidy finished her Crusader career with 1,425 points (15th all-time), 196 3-pointers (fourth all-time), and a 37.8 3-point percentage (tied for sixth all-time).

POSTGAME MATERIALS:

• Press conference video
• Holy Cross Press Conference Transcript
• Holy Cross Locker Room Quotes
• Iowa Press Conference Transcript
• Iowa Locker Room Quotes
• ESPN Highlights

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