The Spire

Patrick Grudberg ‘24

Sports Section Editor

After a narrow 61-66 defeat to ACC rivals Boston College last Monday night, Holy Cross Women’s basketball got back on track with a convincing victory over the Brown Bears. The Hart Center was packed with students, parents and Worcester locals, all ready to greet their Patriot League champs for the first time since early March. I had the pleasure of broadcasting the game on WCHC 88.1 for WCHC Sports (shameless plug), and here’s everything I saw from the 62-54 victory.

Even during the slow start which saw the Crusaders fall behind 8-19 at the end of the first quarter, Coach Magarity stuck to her guns and played a consistent eight person rotation. Bronagh Power-Cassidy, Cara McCormack and Kaitlyn Flanagan all played 32 minutes or more, surprisingly less than their even heavier usage vs Boston College. With some crucial buckets off the bench by Grace Munt and Callie Wright, the Crusaders stormed back in the second quarter with a convincing 16-7 scoring run. Despite having three freshmen who would surely be up to the task, Coach Magarity seems to be trusting her returning core of seven to eight players for the time being.

Although it’s not a super analytical observation, this team plays such a fun, exciting style of basketball when they’re at their best. The ball moves from wing to wing, every player selflessly moves the rock to find the best possible look, and there is a palpable confidence even when the team is trailing. Whether it’s Flanagan, McCormack or another ball-handler pushing it on the fastbreak, you’re almost guaranteed to see an array of extra passes and smooth ball movement.

Like years past, the Crusaders almost always win the turnover battle and make their free throws at a steady clip. It might be cliche, but teams who limit turnovers, take advantage of free points at the line, and force timely steals and loose balls almost always win more games than not. Last Thursday was no different in exhibiting these strengths. The team went 14/19 from the free throw line, draining pairs of them down the stretch that prevented Brown from clawing their way back (no pun intended). And even with 15 turnovers on offense, the defense forced 19 to win the turnover battle. On a night when the Crusaders went cold from three, shooting only 2/14, the little things like this mean so much more in securing close games.

Another thing that helped the Crusaders secure the win was bench scoring. Compared to Brown, who only mustered 5 points off the bench, the likes of Lindsay Berger and the aforementioned duo of Munt and Wright combined for 17 points. Being able to rely on your bench for such production certainly takes pressure off the starters playing over thirty minutes a game. On top of this, Holy Cross won the rebounding battle, grabbing 42 boards to Brown’s 37. While both teams secured their fair share of offensive boards (16 for HC and 15 for Brown), it seemed like Holy Cross capitalized off these second chances more often. Some other small areas where Holy Cross earned an upper edge included fastbreak points and points off turnovers. Coach Magarity’s unit capitalized on those 19 forced turnovers, getting out on the break and earning easy layups and high-percentage shots in transition. This is all to say that Holy Cross edged out Brown in almost every statistical category, a really promising sign for things to come.

Up next for the Crusaders will be a home matchup against UMass Lowell who struggled to a 5-22 record last season. Coach Magarity and company will surely not overlook their in-state opponents, and we’re hoping they’ll improve to 2-1 after that contest. By the time you’re reading this, the Crusader will be preparing for an away matchup against Stony Brook this Sunday. Even though the team doesn’t have a home game until after Thanksgiving break (Dec. 7th vs Connecticut College), everyone at the Spire will be cheering on the women’s basketball team as they continue their slate of non-conference games!