WORCESTER, Mass. – Four players scored in double figures including sophomore guard
Kendall Eddy who dropped a career-high 19 points as the Holy Cross women's basketball team earned a 75-69 victory in the Hart Center Arena against Patriot League foe Lafayette Saturday afternoon.
The Crusaders (10-5, 3-1 PL) have won seven of their last nine games. Eddy was on fire in the first half scoring 16 of her 19 points in the opening 20 minutes. She finished the game with a career-best five three-pointers, four rebounds and four assists.
Senior forward
Lindsay Berger recorded her second double-double of the season and eighth of her career scoring a season-best 16 points on 70.0 percent (7-of-10) shooting with a year-high 12 rebounds. Junior guard
Kaitlyn Flanagan double-doubled for the second time over the last three games with 11 points and a personal-high matching 10 assists while not turning over the ball once. Classmate
Meg Cahalan added 12 points in 26 minutes of action.
For Lafayette (4-11, 1-3 PL), Abby Antognoli had a team-best 16 points with five assists, four steals and four boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Two straight triples off the stroke of Eddy built a 13-7 Crusader lead at 5:38 in the first. A pair of Leopard buckets brought their deficit to two, 13-11. Senior Lauren Huber had a huge second chance bucket and Flanagan canned a mid-range jumper from the foul line for the 19-13 advantage. Lafayette buried a three to trail 24-20 through one.
- In the second, Eddy went coast-to-coast for the lay-in and on the next possession she found Cahalan for a three-ball to establish a seven point 29-22 edge. The Leopards came within three, 34-31 via a three-ball at the 3:52 mark. Eddy's 16th point of first half, a corner three-pointer expanded the score to 39-31. Eddy dished to Cahalan at the buzzer for the 42-35 lead at the break.
- Lafayette doubled up the Crusaders 14-7 over the opening 5:49 of the third to level the contest at 49-49. Freshman Stella Gougoufkas buried a shot from the baseline to put her team back in the driver's seat 54-49. Lafayette closed the half with the final four points to trail 54-53 after 30 minutes.
- The Leopards produced a hoop and harm which tied the battle 56 all seconds into the fourth. Junior Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly countered converting a three-pointer making it 59-56 Holy Cross. In front, 59-58, the Crusaders went on a 10-2 burst to claim a multiple possession lead 69-60 with 2:23 left. Six straight from the guests put them behind three, 69-66 with 31 seconds left. They were forced to foul and the Crusaders made their free throws to close out the game.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- This was the 10th time in her career Flanagan has posted zero turnovers. The Crusaders are 10-0 (1.000) in those games.
- Nine of Flanagan's 11 markers came in the second half.
- Berger had eight points and six rebounds in the first quarter.
- Berger came down with her 500th career rebound in the first quarter.
- Holy Cross matched their season-high point (75, at Massachusetts, Nov. 20, 2024) and three-point total (11, at Massachusetts, Nov. 20, 2024).
POSTGAME THOUGHTS:
UP NEXT:
- Holy Cross remains home on Wednesday, Jan. 15 squaring off against Bucknell (8-7, 3-1 PL) for a Mental Health Awareness Game.
- Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. and tickets are on sale through the Holy Cross Ticket Office.
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
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Twitter - @HCrossWBB | @goholycross
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