No. 1 Lehigh Bests No. 5 Holy Cross, Advances to Championship Game
3/13/2025 10:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Top-seeded Lehigh women's basketball defeated two-time defending Patriot League champion Holy Cross, securing a 65-44 victory Thursday evening at Stabler Arena in the semifinals.
Lehigh (26-6) will face No. 2 Army on Sunday in the Patriot League championship game at 12 p.m. at Stabler Arena. The game will air on CBS Sports Network. Lehigh is making its first appearance in the title game since 2021 when the Mountain Hawks captured their fourth championship with a 64-54 victory over Boston University.
Tickets are available at LehighTickets.com.
Faculty and staff can purchase tickets through LehighTickets.com, while students can swipe their Lehigh ID at the entrance to Stabler Arena, where their student ticket will be covered by Student Auxiliary Services.
Two Mountain Hawks finished in double figures, led by fifth-year wing Maddie Albrecht, followed by senior guard Colleen McQuillen. Albrecht also recorded five rebounds, four assists, and four steals. McQuillen finished with four steals as well.
"Colleen McQuillen has been our engine the whole time," said head coach Addie Micir. "I thought we were relentless and fearless on the defensive end. Maddie Albrecht picked up an entry pass and got our spark going. When we play with confidence, we show what we can do."
The first quarter was a close battle, with neither team able to build a significant lead. Senior forward Meghan O'Brien hit her second three-pointer of the quarter to give Lehigh a 14-11 advantage with 57 seconds left. The Mountain Hawks would hold that lead for the rest of the game. O'Brien chipped in eight points and two assists on Thursday.
Sophomore guard Jessie Ozzauto added a layup with 18 seconds left in the quarter, putting Lehigh up 16-11 at the end of the first frame.
Both teams traded baskets in the second quarter, with Lehigh holding a narrow 12-10 advantage to take a 28-21 lead at halftime.
Lehigh extended its lead to 12 points in the third quarter after McQuillen went on a 4-0 run, but Holy Cross responded with a 7-0 run to pull within five. The Crusaders' five-point deficit with 6:12 remaining in the game would be the closest they would come in the second half. The Mountain Hawks closed the third quarter on a 5-0 run, taking a 46-34 lead, with McQuillen netting a last-second layup.
Lehigh saved its best for the final quarter, shooting a quarter-high 54.8% from the field while outscoring Holy Cross 19-10.
Lehigh shot 25-of-57 (43.9%) from the field and 6-of-25 (24%) from three-point range. Holy Cross shot 19-of-46 (41.3%) from the field and 3-of-14 (21.4%) from deep.
Simone Foreman led the way for Holy Cross with 16 points.
Lehigh had 14 turnovers on Thursday while Holy Cross committed 23 turnovers. The Mountain Hawks finished with 14 steals on the day.Â
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Lehigh (26-6) will face No. 2 Army on Sunday in the Patriot League championship game at 12 p.m. at Stabler Arena. The game will air on CBS Sports Network. Lehigh is making its first appearance in the title game since 2021 when the Mountain Hawks captured their fourth championship with a 64-54 victory over Boston University.
Tickets are available at LehighTickets.com.
Faculty and staff can purchase tickets through LehighTickets.com, while students can swipe their Lehigh ID at the entrance to Stabler Arena, where their student ticket will be covered by Student Auxiliary Services.
Two Mountain Hawks finished in double figures, led by fifth-year wing Maddie Albrecht, followed by senior guard Colleen McQuillen. Albrecht also recorded five rebounds, four assists, and four steals. McQuillen finished with four steals as well.
"Colleen McQuillen has been our engine the whole time," said head coach Addie Micir. "I thought we were relentless and fearless on the defensive end. Maddie Albrecht picked up an entry pass and got our spark going. When we play with confidence, we show what we can do."
The first quarter was a close battle, with neither team able to build a significant lead. Senior forward Meghan O'Brien hit her second three-pointer of the quarter to give Lehigh a 14-11 advantage with 57 seconds left. The Mountain Hawks would hold that lead for the rest of the game. O'Brien chipped in eight points and two assists on Thursday.
Sophomore guard Jessie Ozzauto added a layup with 18 seconds left in the quarter, putting Lehigh up 16-11 at the end of the first frame.
Both teams traded baskets in the second quarter, with Lehigh holding a narrow 12-10 advantage to take a 28-21 lead at halftime.
Lehigh extended its lead to 12 points in the third quarter after McQuillen went on a 4-0 run, but Holy Cross responded with a 7-0 run to pull within five. The Crusaders' five-point deficit with 6:12 remaining in the game would be the closest they would come in the second half. The Mountain Hawks closed the third quarter on a 5-0 run, taking a 46-34 lead, with McQuillen netting a last-second layup.
Lehigh saved its best for the final quarter, shooting a quarter-high 54.8% from the field while outscoring Holy Cross 19-10.
Lehigh shot 25-of-57 (43.9%) from the field and 6-of-25 (24%) from three-point range. Holy Cross shot 19-of-46 (41.3%) from the field and 3-of-14 (21.4%) from deep.
Simone Foreman led the way for Holy Cross with 16 points.
Lehigh had 14 turnovers on Thursday while Holy Cross committed 23 turnovers. The Mountain Hawks finished with 14 steals on the day.Â
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Players Mentioned
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