HAMILTON – On a day when Colgate lost, it turns out the Raiders were pretty big winners.
 
Colgate locked up a sixth-place finish in the Patriot League regular season Saturday thanks to home losses later in the afternoon and evening by both Army and Navy. Army dropped a 67-42 decision to Boston University, while Navy fell 55-50 to Loyola.
 
The Raiders are bolted into the No. 6 seed heading to Wednesday's season finale at Lafayette. Their opponent in the March 11 quarterfinals is either Boston University or Lehigh.
 
Colgate was picked to finish 10th in the preseason.
 
This is the second No. 6 seed in head coach Bill Cleary's three seasons at Colgate. The Raiders finished 7-11 two years ago, so this year's team has a chance to eclipse that Patriot League win total with a victory Wednesday night in Easton.
 
Saturday at Cotterell Court, after Senior Day presentations and after Colgate scored the game's first two points, Holy Cross put 17 straight on the board and led 23-4 at the end of one quarter. The Crusaders sailed to an 80-67 triumph.
 
Tegan Graham scored 23 points and Rachel Thompson 20 to lead the Raider scoring. Thompson led the team with seven rebounds, while Mylah Chandler had three steals and Haley Greer four assists.
 
Bottom Line
• Holy Cross 80, Colgate 67
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate is now 11-16 overall and 7-10 in the Patriot League.
• Holy Cross improved to 17-11 and 9-8.
 
Stats of the Game
• Graham in two games this week averaged 23.5 points and was 8-of-12 from 3-point distance, with five assists and two turnovers. Her six rebounds Saturday were a season high.
• Chandler blocked one shot to move alone into seventh on the Colgate career chart with 86, passing Lorelei Grosskurth (1983-85).
• She also grabbed four rebounds to jump into ninth on the all-time list with 619, passing Jen Smith (1992-95) at 616. Next up is No. 8 Tracy Davis (1986-89) at 623.
• The Raiders turned the ball over just eight times Saturday, a season low.
• Holy Cross made a dozen 3-pointers (12-of-30) Saturday for a season high. They entered the game averaging 6.2.
• During that blistering first quarter, Holy Cross made eight field goals and seven of those were threes.
 
From the Source
• Head Coach Bill Cleary (On clinching the sixth seed) "My initial reaction is excitement. That was one of our goals coming into the season – clinching a first-round bye – and this is big. Obviously, we wanted to win today to solidify it but we will take it this way as well.
 
"I'm really happy for the players because they have worked hard for this. They have put in the time and it's good to see the fruits of their labor pan out.
 
"Now we go into Wednesday wanting to get that 12th win. That's important. And we want that eighth win in conference because it will be our third-most wins in the Patriot League. We're playing for momentum going into the postseason."
 
(On the seniors) "We've made great strides as a program, and these four seniors have been incredibly instrumental. I really believe we are going to be talking about these four and pointing to them and how they got this program going. I feel very fortunate and blessed to know these four special and outstanding young women, and to have coached them. They have made me a better coach and a better person. I can't wait to see what they are going to accomplish going forward."
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Cotterell Court for Senior Day was 287.
 
Up Next
• Colgate ends the regular season Wednesday at Lafayette.
• The Leopards are 2-15 in the Patriot League and 7-21 overall after Saturday's 67-50 loss at Lehigh. The Raiders knocked off Lafayette 60-49 way back on Jan. 9 in Hamilton.
• Tip time is 7 p.m. from Easton, with the Patriot League Network carrying all the action.