The first win feels great': Holy Cross women's basketball shakes off slow start tops Brown in home opener
Jennifer Toland
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
www.telegram.com/story/sports/college/2023/11/09/holy-cross-womens-basketball-shakes-off-slow-start-tops-brown-for-first-win/71514865007/WORCESTER — After a poor first quarter during which Holy Cross made just 4 of 18 shots, turned the ball over five times and fell behind Brown by 13 points, the Crusaders needed a spark in their 2023-24 home opener.
Who better to provide it than senior Bronagh Power-Cassidy, their fearless leader.
Late in the second quarter, as HC continued to play catch-up, Power-Cassidy dashed and dove to save a loose ball near midcourt and got it to sophomore Kaitlyn Flanagan, who hit junior Grace Munt striding to the basket for a layup.
Such inspired basketball helped the Crusaders in their 62-54 victory, their first of the season, at the Hart Center.
“When your captain, your best player dives on the floor for a loose ball like that,” Holy Cross coach Maureen Magarity said, “that says a lot about her leadership. She leads by example, and we needed it. That was a huge momentum swing.”
Munt’s basket started HC's 10-4 spurt to finish the second quarter, and Power-Cassidy’s spin inside for a bucket with 29 seconds left in the first half gave the Crusaders their first lead.
Brown kept it close, but junior Lindsay Berger scored nine of her 13 points in the second half, and Flanagan and senior Cara McCormack sank crucial 3s, and the Crusaders hung on.
“The first win feels great,” said Berger, who had a game-high 12 rebounds. “The first quarter was a little choppy, but we have a short memory, we turned it around, and we got the ‘W.’ ”
HC improved to 9-2 in the series.
Power-Cassidy, who was coming off the first double-double of her career (16 points, 12 rebounds), in HC’s five-point loss at Boston College Monday, scored a game-high 20 points against the Bears.
Holy Cross' Bronagh Power-Cassidy drives to the hoop between Brown's Beth Nelson, left, and Kyla Jones, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.
“The Boston College game was tough, and we really wanted to get that win,” Power-Cassidy said, “but (against Brown) it was good to get over the hump and get our first win. It’s always special to win on our home court.”
HC went 11-4 at the Hart Center during last year’s Patriot League championship season.
The Crusaders started 1of 12 from the floor, and Brown jumped to a 19-6 lead.
“We were getting great looks,” Magarity said, “but the shots were not falling. I think that fueled Brown’s offense, and they ran some good stuff. We were definitely not playing our game at either end.”
Holy Cross scored the first eight points of the second quarter, and trailed by five when Power-Cassidy made her big play.
Magarity said she couldn’t wait to watch it on replay.
“I didn’t think she could get to it,” Magarity said, “and she didn’t have an angle, but if she doesn’t get to that and do that, I don’t know what the outcome is. That play gave us a lot of energy.”
Power-Cassidy scored 10 of HC’s 14 third-quarter points, and the Crusaders led by four heading to the fourth.
The Crusaders made just 38% of their field goal attempts, but held Brown to 34%, and a number of HC hustle plays added up. In addition to Power-Cassidy’s dive and save, senior Janelle Allen took a charge late in the third quarter, and Flanagan stole an inbounds pass with seconds left in the third.
“It’s going back to our DNA as a team,” Power-Cassidy said. “We want to be tough, we want to play tough defense and make teams really work, and our offense comes after that. All those extra-effort plays, as a team we have to continue to get that. At the end of the day, that’s how we earned this win.”
McCormack added 10 points and six assists, and Flanagan dished out five assists.
Senior Kyla Jones and sophomore Grace Arnolie each scored 17 points for Brown (0-2).
“The senior class kept everybody together,” Magarity said. “They kept their heads up and kept executing and finally got some transition points, hustle plays, and I think we made some nice defensive adjustments.