Senior Cara McCormack scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Holy Cross to a 72-45 victory over UT Martin on Thursday in a Women’s NCAA Tournament First Four game at Iowa City.
No. 16 Holy Cross (21-12) advances to play No. 1 Iowa (29-4) in a first-round game of the Albany 2 Regional on Saturday in Iowa City.
The Crusaders earned the second NCAA Tournament victory in Patriot League history. The first was achieved by Holy Cross in 1991.
Bronagh Power-Cassidy added 15 points in Holy Cross’s win over UT Martin (16-17).
Anaya Brown had 15 points, Kenley McCarn 12 and Love Mayes 10 for UT Martin, which made the NCAA Tournament despite losing 81-53 to Southern Indiana in the Ohio Valley Conference championship game.
Southern Indiana is in the second year of the four-year reclassification to Division I, leaving the Screaming Eagles ineligible to play in the Women’s NCAA Tournament.
Holy Cross, which never trailed, went on a 13-4 run to build a 16-6 lead in the first quarter. McCormack made two 3-pointers in that surge.
UT Martin did not come closer than seven points the rest of the game.
The Crusaders opened the second quarter with three 3-pointers, including two more from McCormack, to open a 31-13 lead.
Holy Cross led 45-24 at halftime behind 18 points from McCormack.
The Crusaders’ lead swelled to 62-32 by the end of the third quarter.
Holy Cross tallied 20 assists on its 28 made field goals.
–Field Level Media