WORCESTER, Mass.- The Holy Cross women's basketball team will travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass., for its season opener at Boston College (BC) on Monday, Nov. 3. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at the Conte Forum. Fans can stream the broadcast on the ACC Network on ESPN+.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS (0-0, 0-0 PL): 

• The Crusaders concluded the 2024-25 season in fifth place with a 19-12, 11-7 record. Holy Cross fell to #5-seeded Lehigh in the semifinals of the Patriot League tournament, 65-44, to conclude the season. The Crusaders were ranked first in the conference for assists per game (15.0), second in rebounds per game (35.2) and fourth in blocked shots per game (3.2). 
• The Crusaders were slated to finish in fourth place in the 2025-26 Patriot League preseason poll, after votes were tallied from head coaches. They look to be a top contender in the conference and reclaim the Patriot League title. 
• Four starters return from that squad, along with six other letterwinners. The Crusaders' roster includes 16 returners: four seniors, four juniors and two sophomores. They welcome five newcomers, all freshmen.
• Holy Cross had some notable wins last season with a 61-49 win over UMass-Lowell for Candice Green's first win as head coach, a staggering 83-42 victory at Lafayette and a 53-27 win against Loyola (Md.), holding the Greyhounds to an all-time program low of 27 points.
• Seniors Kaitlyn Flanagan and Meg Cahalan have been tapped to lead the charge for the 2025-26 season.
• Flanagan, a guard, was selected to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team ahead of this season's action. Last year, she started all 31 games in her junior year and led the Patriot League in assists (160, 5.2 per game) and had the most minutes of any Crusader (1,004). She averaged 9.7 points per game while also totaling 33 steals, 67 rebounds and 20 blocks. Her efforts earned her a spot on the 2024-25 All-Patriot League Second Team.
• Cahalan, a forward, had a breakout season during the 2024-25 campaign, starting in all 31 games on the year. She led the team and ranked sixth in the conference in blocks (26) and was second on the squad, 16th in the league, in points, averaging 10.5 points per game. Cahalan also had the second-most three-pointers made (42) of any Crusader and was ranked 15th in the Patriot League for three-pointers made per game (1.4). She was named the 2025 Rev. George L. O'Brien Award recipient as MVP of the Winter Homecoming game.
• Seniors Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly and Simone Foreman should play key roles for the Crusaders heading into the 2025-26 campaign. Donnelly started 31 times during last season's action and averaged 6.7 points, 6.9 rebounds per game, as well as led the team with a .391 three-point percentage. Foreman returns to the floor after starting in 14 games and leading the squad in free-throw percentage (.853) and averaging points (13.9) and rebounds (7.6) per game. She was second in the Patriot League for her free-throw percentage and placed fifth in the league for points and rebounds per game as well as field goal percentage (.414).
• Juniors Kendall Eddy, Janie Bachmann, Simone Lewis and Hannah Griffin look to contend for starting spots or play key roles for the Crusaders. Eddy played in 30 of the 31 games last year while starting in eight. She averaged 7.1 points, 1.2 steals and 1.7 assists per contest, and ranked 13th in the Patriot League in steals. Bachmann and Griffin both saw action in 20 games, while Lewis made 11 appearances for the Crusaders in 2024-25.
• Sophomore Stella Gougoufkas and Gracynn Gough will also be in the mix for increased playing time and provide added depth.

EXAMINING THE EAGLES (0-0, 0-0 ACC):

• The Eagles ended the 2024-25 campaign with a 16-18 overall record and a 6-12 ACC record and finished 12th in the conference standings. Boston College concluded its run in the ACC tournament with a close 78-71 loss to #5-seeded North Carolina. The Eagles' season ended with an opening round WBIT defeat handed down by Villanova, 76-70. Boston College was ranked third in the conference for steals per game ( 9.32), fifth in free throw percentage (.757) and sixth in points per game (73.1). 
• Boston College was tabbed to finish in 17th place out of 18 teams in the 2025-26 ACC preseason poll. 
• The Eagles had some notable wins from the previous season with big conference victories over Miami (83-79), Syracuse (92-51), Clemson (94-65), Virgina Tech (92-89) and ACC Tournament First Round win over Syracuse (76-73).
• The Eagles rebuild their program this season after only retaining two players for the the 2024-25 season: Athena Tomlinson and Ava McGee. Boston College welcomes 11 new players to the roster (four freshmen, six transfers and BC lacrosse transfer, Emma LoPinto).
• Sophomore guard Tomlinson returns to the squad after playing in 33 of the 34-game season with four starts. She dropped a total of 73 points, 60 assists, 20 steals amd 34 rebounds in her debut year. She was fifth among all freshmen in the ACC averaging 1.8 assists per game. 
• Boston College has three transfers who all helped their teams to NCAA Tournament appearances and conference championships. Redshirt senior guard Erin Houpt joins the Eagles from San Diego State where she averaged over four three-point attempts per game and shot a career 42% from outside the arc. Senior forward Kayla Rolph made her way to BC from William & Mary where she averaged 6.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Redshirt junior guard Kaia Henderson traded in the scarlet and grey Ohio State uniform for the Eagle's Maroon and Gold heading into the 2025-26 campaign. While with the Buckeyes, she helped the them to a trip to the Elite Eight in 2022-23 and three NCAA tournament appearances.
• Two Big East transfers: Graduate guard Teionni McDaniel (Georgetown) and sophomore guard Lily Carmody (Butler) also join the mix for the upcoming year along with redshirt sophomore forward Keira Edmonds who makes the move to BC from Houston.
• Graduate guard LoPinto enters the BC basketball conversation after playing two seasons of Eagle lacrosse. She was a First-Team All-American and First Team All-ACC selection. She helped the lacrosse team to the ACC title, National Championship and strong 39-6 record over her two years. 

LAST TIME THEY MET:

• The Crusaders and the Eagles met last year for a non-conference match up on Nov. 23. BC took the 81-55 victory of Holy Cross.
• Holy Cross holds a 10-34 all-time series record against Boston College.

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