Holy Cross rounded out its season in February, ending on a semifinal loss in the conference tournament. While the Saints (16-16, 12-8 CCAC) started their season with a win over Goshen College in October, they proceeded to lose six straight games, five of which were against non-conference foes. However, head coach Adam Dobrzykowski said the team remained positive and determined despite the bad start.
“This group showed a lot of heart this year and bought into the team philosophy,” he said. “We didn’t have the best start, but these ladies worked hard to get over the hump and became a force that made us tough to beat in the final stretch.”
The Saints captured their first conference win against Judson University in November. The win against Judson marked a turning point for the team, as they continued the momentum and won six straight games, improving their conference record to 5-1 and emerging above .500 overall.
“The best moments were when we were the underdog against nationally ranked teams, beating them on their home gyms and getting hyped up after an intense battle,” Dobrzykowski said. “That’s what the game is all about.”
The team struggled to find consistency throughout stretches of the season, but garnered an strong conference record and a berth in the CCAC Tournament, reserved for the top-eight teams in the conference. The Saints won their first-round matchup 65-60 against a top-25 ranked Saint Xavier squad, but they were defeated by No. 17 Cardinal Stritch University 80-63 in the semifinals.
The team has four seniors graduating: forward Keysha Streater and guards Jessica Norris, Madison Tomblin and Alex Foster. In her time at Holy Cross, Streater became the all-time leader in games started with 114. She capitalized on those games to become the program leader in a number of offensive categories: career points scored (1,803), field goals made (733), points per game (14.8) and offensive rebounds (402). Norris also garnered records of her own, leaving as the all-time leader in 3-point field goals made with 302 and three-point percentage at 37%. Streater and Norris were both represented Holy Cross as CCAC All-Conference Second Team athletes this year.
The women’s basketball season was filled with significant accomplishments on an individual and a team basis, setting the program standard for future seasons, as six of the ten players will return for next year.
“It was a special year, and I was very proud of this group” Dobrzykowski said.
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