Post by HC13 on Mar 8, 2024 13:00:27 GMT -5
'We knew we had to win to at least get a share': Holy Cross wins outright PL regular season title
Jennifer Toland
www.telegram.com/story/sports/college/2024/03/08/crusaders-defy-the-odds-win-pl-regular-season-title-on-the-final-day-of-the-season/72866190007/
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
The Holy Cross women’s basketball team entered the final night of the regular season on Wednesday in a three-way tie for first place in the Patriot League standings, and with three other teams just a game out of the top spot.
The seeding scenarios for the upcoming Patriot League Tournament – there were 32 of them – seemed endless.
The Crusaders, behind senior Bronagh Power-Cassidy’s 30 points, went out and took care of business with a 77-69 win over Lafayette at the Hart Center.
Boston University, Bucknell and Army had already lost, so HC’s outright title hopes hinged on American beating Loyola. The Crusaders watched the last few minutes of that game in their locker room, and the Eagles’ 73-70 victory set off a Holy Cross celebration.
The right combination of wins and losses clinched HC its 13th regular-season Patriot League championship and second in the last three years, and the top seed for the PL tourney.
The Crusaders, who host the winner of Saturday’s first-round game between No. 8 Bucknell and No. 9 American in a quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Monday, will now embark on their second straight PL tournament championship and automatic NCAA berth.
“We knew we had to win to at least get a share (of the title), so we felt we could control our own destiny,” HC coach Maureen Magarity said Thursday. “It was a good feeling to have, and motivation. To find a way to win the regular season is enough, but to clinch the one seed is huge, too.”
Holy Cross is 12-2 at home this season.
HC (17-12, 11-7) started 8-1 in league play, but had a very tough stretch in February, losing four straight and failing to score 50 points in three of the setbacks.
The Crusaders bounced back with wins over Bucknell and Navy, before consecutive defeats to Colgate and BU. Through it all, HC maintained first place in the standings.
“It’s been interesting to say the least,” Magarity said. “There were questions (from outside the program) when we lost those four games, ‘Is someone hurt? Are there issues? What’s going on? What is it?’ A lot of it was offensive, struggling to score and that trickled into our defense. I give so much credit to our whole team. They came back every day with great focus, confident we would bounce back.”
Power-Cassidy, a candidate for Patriot League Player of the Year, poured in a career-high 33 points in the loss at Colgate before fouling out.
Against Lafayette, she was 11-17 from the field and 7-10 from 3-point range. The seven made 3s were a career high and tied for the second most in a game in program history.
With 181 career 3s, Power-Cassidy needs three to pass HC Varsity Club Hall of Fame member Briana McFadden for fourth place on the all-time Holy Cross list.
Power-Cassidy ranks third in the Patriot League in scoring with 16.6 points per game and made 3-pointers with 65.
Holy Cross is 7-2 in games this season when Power-Cassidy scores 20 or more points.
“Bronagh has been incredible,” Magarity said, “just scoring in so many different ways, too, and with such confidence. I think everybody is just following her lead with that.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @jentolandtg.
Jennifer Toland
www.telegram.com/story/sports/college/2024/03/08/crusaders-defy-the-odds-win-pl-regular-season-title-on-the-final-day-of-the-season/72866190007/
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
The Holy Cross women’s basketball team entered the final night of the regular season on Wednesday in a three-way tie for first place in the Patriot League standings, and with three other teams just a game out of the top spot.
The seeding scenarios for the upcoming Patriot League Tournament – there were 32 of them – seemed endless.
The Crusaders, behind senior Bronagh Power-Cassidy’s 30 points, went out and took care of business with a 77-69 win over Lafayette at the Hart Center.
Boston University, Bucknell and Army had already lost, so HC’s outright title hopes hinged on American beating Loyola. The Crusaders watched the last few minutes of that game in their locker room, and the Eagles’ 73-70 victory set off a Holy Cross celebration.
The right combination of wins and losses clinched HC its 13th regular-season Patriot League championship and second in the last three years, and the top seed for the PL tourney.
The Crusaders, who host the winner of Saturday’s first-round game between No. 8 Bucknell and No. 9 American in a quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Monday, will now embark on their second straight PL tournament championship and automatic NCAA berth.
“We knew we had to win to at least get a share (of the title), so we felt we could control our own destiny,” HC coach Maureen Magarity said Thursday. “It was a good feeling to have, and motivation. To find a way to win the regular season is enough, but to clinch the one seed is huge, too.”
Holy Cross is 12-2 at home this season.
HC (17-12, 11-7) started 8-1 in league play, but had a very tough stretch in February, losing four straight and failing to score 50 points in three of the setbacks.
The Crusaders bounced back with wins over Bucknell and Navy, before consecutive defeats to Colgate and BU. Through it all, HC maintained first place in the standings.
“It’s been interesting to say the least,” Magarity said. “There were questions (from outside the program) when we lost those four games, ‘Is someone hurt? Are there issues? What’s going on? What is it?’ A lot of it was offensive, struggling to score and that trickled into our defense. I give so much credit to our whole team. They came back every day with great focus, confident we would bounce back.”
Power-Cassidy, a candidate for Patriot League Player of the Year, poured in a career-high 33 points in the loss at Colgate before fouling out.
Against Lafayette, she was 11-17 from the field and 7-10 from 3-point range. The seven made 3s were a career high and tied for the second most in a game in program history.
With 181 career 3s, Power-Cassidy needs three to pass HC Varsity Club Hall of Fame member Briana McFadden for fourth place on the all-time Holy Cross list.
Power-Cassidy ranks third in the Patriot League in scoring with 16.6 points per game and made 3-pointers with 65.
Holy Cross is 7-2 in games this season when Power-Cassidy scores 20 or more points.
“Bronagh has been incredible,” Magarity said, “just scoring in so many different ways, too, and with such confidence. I think everybody is just following her lead with that.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @jentolandtg.