FINAL SCORE: Vermont 45, Holy Cross 46

WORCESTER, MASS.  – Vermont (9-4, 0-0 AE) fell to Holy Cross (5-5, 0-0 PL) on Tuesday afternoon at Hart Center Arena. Senior Jadyn Weltz reached the 1,000-point milestone in her career.

RELATED LINKS

Box Score 

COACH'S QUOTE

"We can use whatever excuse we want, but at the end of the day, they wanted it more than us," said Mayer Women's Basketball Head Coach Alisa Kresge. "They were hungrier and tougher over the course of 40 minutes. If we aren't going to be the aggressors on offense, then we better be much sharper executing our defensive game plan, and we weren't. Frankly, we did not play well on both sides of the ball. Four assists for an entire game is not Vermont basketball."

HOW IT HAPPENED

• At the first timeout with 5:00 remaining in the first quarter, seniors Keira Hanson and Nikola Priede accounted for all seven of the Catamounts' points. Hanson opened the scoring with a three-pointer, followed by a Priede layup, and Hanson later made all of her free throws.

• The Catamounts trailed 12-9 with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter before sophomore Emma Haan knocked down a three-pointer off an assist from Weltz. 

• Weltz later converted two free throws to tie the game at 14 heading into the second quarter.

• The Crusaders leaked out to a six-point lead with 4:16 to go in the first half off a senior Mary Elizabeth-Donnelly three-pointer. 

• The Catamounts answered with a layup by first-year Jacklynn Hosier, a free throw from Priede, and a three-pointer by sophomore Emma Haan to cut the Crusaders' lead to two just before halftime.

• Hanson and Weltz each scored on driving layups out of halftime to tie the game at 28-28, prompting a Holy Cross timeout with 8:26 left in the third quarter.

• The Crusaders clawed back to take a four-point lead on a left-handed driving layup by senior Simone Foreman and a 1-for-2 trip to the line by junior Simone Lewis with 3:16 remaining in the third quarter.

• The Catamounts responded with six straight points, including a driving layup by Weltz, a turnaround jumper by Priede, and a steal-and-score by Priede, to take a 35-33 lead into the fourth quarter.

• The Crusaders and Catamounts traded baskets to start the fourth quarter, beginning with a layup by senior Kaitlyn Flanagan that Hanson answered at the 8:29 mark.

• Weltz blew past her defender for a scoop-and-score, which was answered by a Foreman floater, keeping the Catamounts ahead 39-37 with 6:59 remaining in the fourth quarter.

• Junior Malia Lenz drove down the lane for a left-handed layup, giving the Catamounts a six-point lead with 5:59 remaining and prompting a Crusaders timeout.

• The Crusaders outscored the Catamounts 10-2 over the final five minutes to complete the comeback.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Priede led all Catamounts with 11 points. 

• Lenz pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. 

• Hanson and Weltz each scored 10 points. 

• The Catamounts had just four assists as a team, compared to 11 for Holy Cross. 

• Holy Cross shot 35.3% from the field, while Vermont shot 29.6%.

• The Crusaders also shot better from three-point range, making 25.0% compared to Vermont's 17.6%.

UP NEXT

Vermont will travel to Drexel to face the Dragons on Saturday, Dec. 20, at Daskalakis Athletic Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. The game will be televised on FloCollege, with the radio broadcast available on the Varsity Network App with Ryan Zimmerman on the call.

Vermont Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont women's basketball