The Holy Cross women's basketball team's Patriot League tournament championship title defense starts on Monday, March 10 at 6 p.m. against Navy for a 2025 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinal round matchup in Alumni Hall. The contest will stream live through ESPN+.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT #5 HOLY CROSS (18-11, 11-7 PL): 

• The Crusaders are coming off a 64-46 loss to Army on Wednesday evening. Three players reached double-figures for the Crusaders including senior forward Lindsay Berger who double-doubled for the fourth time this season and 10th of her career with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
• Berger was named to the Patriot League second and all-defensive teams on Friday. She is the Patriot League leader in field goal percentage (54.3%), while ranking fifth in blocks per game (0.9), fifth in total blocks (24), tied for sixth in double-doubles (4), eighth in rebounding (5.8) and 11th in scoring (12.2). Berger became the fifth different student-athlete in program history and fourth over the last five seasons to be named to the all-defensive team. 
• Junior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan joined Berger on the All-League second team. Flanagan has started and played in every game (96) for the Crusaders (63-33, .656) since her freshman year. She is the conference leader in assists per game (5.2) and assists (152), which rank 28th and 37th in the NCAA respectively. Flanagan comes in second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2) and 10th in minutes per game (32.3). 
• Junior guard Simone Foreman, a Maryland native has thrived during seven career games in her home state. Foreman is averaging 15.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game on 46.6% (41-of-88) shooting. Holy Cross is 5-2 (.714) in those games.
• Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Kit Hughes announced on Monday, Feb. 24 that Candice Green will have her interim tag removed and will serve as the permanent head coach of the Holy Cross women's basketball team. Green took over as interim head coach of the Crusaders in August, and has guided Holy Cross to an 18-11 (.621) record this season, including a 11-7 (.611) mark in league play. She has a 37-24 (.607) overall record as a head coach. 

HOLY CROSS IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT:

• The Crusaders have won a conference-best 13 Patriot League championships and have appeared in the championship game a conference-high 21 times since the league's inception back in 1990-91. They are looking to become the first back-to-back-to-back conference champion since Navy (2011, 2012, 2013).
• Overall, Holy Cross is 53-20 (.726) in the Patriot League Championship tournament, which are the most wins by any league program. They hold a 19-8 (.704) record during the quarterfinal round. The Crusaders are 23-14 (.622) when playing at on the road in the conference dance.
• In the history of the Patriot League tournament, the no. 5 seed have a 21-13 (.618) record against the no. 4 seed in the quarterfinal round.
• Holy Cross is 7-3 (.700) against Navy in the Patriot League tournament and 2-2 on the road.

SCOUTING THE #4 MIDSHIPMEN (19-10, 11-7 PL): 

• Navy has won four straight games including a 60-47 win at home against Boston University on Wednesday. Kyah Smith scored a game-high 17 points in 23 minutes off the bench.
• The Mids picked up a pair of Patriot League major awards on Friday. Zanai Barnett-Gay was selected as the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year while Julianna Almeida was named the Rookie of the Year. Barnett-Gay also was placed on the all-league first and all-defensive team while Almeida was joined by teammate Mary Gibbons on the all-rookie team.
• Navy, the top rebounding team in the Patriot League (40.4) has the two highest single-game rebound totals against Holy Cross this year (45 at Navy, Jan. 8, 2025) (47 vs. Navy, Feb. 22, 2025). They have outrebounded the Crusaders 92-to-84 this season.

NAVY IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT:

• The Mids have won three conference championships with their last coming during the 2012-13 season on March 16, 2013, a 72-53 win in Annapolis against Holy Cross.
• Overall, Navy is 29-29 (.500) in the league championship tournament. Navy is 17-12 (.586) in the quarterfinal round and have a 14-4 (.778) mark at home in the PLT.
• Navy is 3-7 (.300) against the Crusaders in the tourney. The Mids are 2-2 (.400) at home against the Crusaders.

LAST TIME THEY MET: 

• The Crusaders are 49-26 (.653) in the series history against the Mids which began in 1992. Holy Cross is 22-15 (.595) against Navy on the road.
• Navy swept the regular-season series against Holy Cross back on Feb. 22 defeating the Crusaders 66-57. Lindsay Berger matched a game-high with 18 points in the game.

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