Ben Paradis ’28
Staff Writer
At the time of this article, the Holy Cross Men’s basketball team currently sits with a record of 4-4, posting them at the top of the Patriot League.
After a sweep of the College Hill Classic in Providence, the Crusaders hosted Mitchell for the home opener at the Hart Center. This was an absolute rout, with the final score being 88-49 in favor of the Crusaders. Holy Cross had five players score in the double digits, highlighted by a team-best 18 points by freshman Aidan Richard. The Crusaders were impressive across the board, shooting 62.1% from the field and almost 40% from three-point land. Notably, every Crusader tallied minutes in this contest, proven by an impressive 27 points from the guys off the bench. There was not a second of this game where the Crusaders did not hold the lead.
Unfortunately, Holy Cross hasn’t been able to keep up this positive momentum in their following two games. Last Sunday, they headed to Orono to face off against the University of Maine Black Bears. The game was tied early on, with the score tied 13-13 in the first few minutes of action. Then, Maine went on an 18-6 run before half, with Holy Cross trailing by nine points heading to the locker room for halftime. The Crusaders fought hard and even made it a seven-point game early in the second half, but Maine pulled away late to win by 25. Holy Cross simply struggled to get the ball in the hoop, posting 35% shooting from the field and 15% from three. Turnovers proved to be the killer for Holy Cross, as the Black Bears scored 12 points off of their 15 turnovers. On the other side, Maine converted from the field at a 51.6% rate, ultimately leading them to their win. Ultimately, this loss can be chalked up to an unlucky day shooting the ball for Holy Cross.
In their next matchup, Holy Cross faced off against the University of Virginia. Despite recent struggles, UVA has been a perennial power in the ACC and was one of the dominant basketball programs of the 2010s. As underdogs heading into Charlottesville, the Crusaders suffered a loss but showed signs of a great season to come. Despite another tough shooting day from the team, senior forward, Caleb Kenney, and freshman guard, Max Green, had great days. They lead the charge for the Crusaders with 10 and 16 points, respectively. Unfortunately, nobody else cracked double digits for Holy Cross. No game will be against a tougher opponent than this one, and I am confident that this loss will prove to be a valuable experience as the Crusaders head into Patriot League play.
Despite the skid, there is lots of promise for this squad. Head Coach, Dave Paulsen, has proven to bring some great talent on the recruiting trail. Freshman, Max Green, currently leads the Crusaders in points per game and steals per game, proving to be very impressive early into his collegiate career. Tyler Boston, a freshman guard, leads the team in assists with almost four per game. As for the returners, Caleb Kenney and Joe Nugent have proven to be critical pieces for the Crusaders. They have all the makings of a great team, and as the season goes on, I am sure they will find their footing and rattle off some wins.
To open the month of December, Holy Cross has two home games against Harvard and Central Connecticut State. Despite poor records for both teams, they have fought hard against some tough opponents, meaning the Crusaders will need to bring their best. I expect the Crusaders to end their slump and add to the win column at the Hart Center.
Featured image courtesy of Worcester Telegram
Copy Edited by Sophia Mariani ’26
Web Edited by Zexuan Qu ’28
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