Saints Defeat Crosstown Rival IUSB, 86–73

The Holy Cross women's basketball team earned a strong 86–73 victory over cross-town rival Indiana University South Bend on Saturday afternoon inside McKenna Arena, continuing their solid conference play with an all-around team performance.

The Saints came out firing early, building a 25–16 lead after the first quarter behind efficient shooting and aggressive defense. Holy Cross carried that momentum into halftime, extending the advantage to 46–33 and never allowing IUSB to seriously threaten the lead the rest of the way.

Offensively, Holy Cross was led by Allie Caldwell, who poured in a game-high 24 points on an impressive 9-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Kaiden Hanley added a strong presence inside with 18 points and 8 rebounds, while Lilly Toppen knocked down 14 points, highlighted by 3 three-pointers. Sincere Coleman-Francis chipped in 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Audrey Tallent contributed 10 points and a team-high 10 assists, orchestrating the offense throughout the afternoon.

The Saints shot an efficient 56.1% from the field and 50% from three-point range, while also winning the rebounding battle 39–27. Holy Cross capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 12 second-chance points, and turned defense into offense with 17 points off turnovers.

Despite a balanced scoring effort from IUSB, Holy Cross maintained control throughout the contest, pushing the lead to as many as 20 points in the third quarter.

Holy Cross will look to carry this momentum on the road as they travel to Governors State for their next matchup on Wednesday, January 21st. Tipoff is set for 6:30 PM.