Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. (2/25/12) – The Colgate women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker to Holy Cross 74-72 Saturday afternoon at the Hart Center. Colgate will be the sixth seed in next week's Patriot League Tournament.

Freshman Missy Repoli scored a career-high 22 points, while senior Tricia Oakes added 16 along with eight rebounds, and four blocked shots. Jhazmine Lynch pitched in 12 points, four assists and two steals, while senior Candice Green recorded a team-high six assists. Green now has 104 on the season to become the first Raider to record 100 or more assists in a season since Megan Ballard in 2004-05.

Both teams traded baskets to begin the game, and it would continue midway through the first half as Colgate led 14-13 with 10:51 remaining. The Crusaders then grabbed the lead off a basket from Amy Lepley, which put Holy Cross up 23-21, but Lauryn Kobiela responded with a jumper to knot the game 23-23 with 6:47 to go. Colgate then applied pressure to the Crusaders as the Raiders put together a 14-6 run to give build some breathing room with a 37-29 lead with 2:48 left in the half. The Crusaders would not go away easy as they put together their own run before the half expired. Holy Cross scored nine unanswered points to take a 38-37 lead with 1:15 left. Repoli then broke the scoring drought with a quick three-pointer to take a 40-38 lead. The Raiders needed a stop to take a lead into the half, but Brisje Malone nailed a jumper in the closing seconds of the half to tie the game at 40 apiece heading into the locker room.

Five minutes into the second half it seemed neither wanted to take control of the game, as both teams traded field goals identical to the first half. The Raiders took a 51-50 lead thanks to a three ball from Catherine Lewis, and Oakes pushed the lead up to three with 14:30 remaining. Throughout the remainder of the half the Raiders controlled the game and looked primed to lock up the fifth seed for the Patriot League Tournamnet as they held a 70-62 lead with 4:33 to go in regulation. However, the Crusaders began to find rhythm and went on an 8-0 run to tie the game 70-70 with 1:24 left. Oakes put home a lay-up, which put the Raiders back up by two, but on the next possession a questionable foul call on Oakes sent Emily Parker to the line as she knocked down both to tie the game at 72. Colgate had an opportunity to regain the lead, but a missed jumper from Lynch with 20 seconds remaining gave Holy Cross a chance to take the lead. Alex Smith drove through the middle of the lane and found Lepley for an easy lay-up and the Crusaders took a 74-72 lead with seven seconds to go. The Raiders last opportunity fell short as Lynch missed a jumper, but the shot was rebounded by Repoli as she tried to put it back, but time had expired and Holy Cross escaped with the 74-72 victory.

Colgate (8-21, 5-9) lost the battle of the boards getting out-rebounded 36-30 by the Crusaders. From the free throw line the Raiders shot 7-for-8 (88%), but Holy Cross (16-13, 7-7) was a perfect 15-for-15 from the charity stripe.

No. 6 Colgate will face No. 3 Navy on Thursday, March 1 in the Quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Alumni Hall and will be streamed live on Patriot League All-Access.