Entering the year with eight freshmen and sophomores, youth and inexperience became a storyline for the Holy Cross women’s basketball squad. However, with a mix of strong upperclassmen leadership and impressive underclassmen contributions, the Saints stayed competitive. They finished 15-15 and 10-12 in conference play.
Jayda Miller, freshmen lead the way
Miller, a junior, led the Saints offense again. She notched 13.8 points per game, becoming the seventh 1000-point scorer in Holy Cross history. She led the inexperienced roster to the postseason, but not without help.The Saints’ young talent matured quickly and provided quality minutes. Freshman guard Jordyn Smith earned CCAC Freshman of the Year. She backed up Miller’s scoring with 10.3 points per game and facilitated the offense with 4.1 assists per contest as well. Another young contributor, forward Grace Adams found herself on the conference All-Freshman team. Adams notched 9.7 points per game thanks to an imposing paint presence. She also hauled in 8.3 rebounds per game.
Sara White provides senior leadership
The only senior on the roster, White was a much-needed veteran presence for the Saints. She led the team with 9.8 rebounds per contest and poured in 8.2 points per game. With Adams, she helped the Saints rank third in the CCAC in rebounds per game. Her steady play helped the Saints overcome some early bumps in the road with the young roster. She recorded 10+ rebounds in six of their first seven games, matching that feat in scoring as well.Saints battle through adversity, finish .500
The Saints’ youth revealed itself in their early results. They lost four of their first five contests and started 0-3 in CCAC play. At the end of November, Holy Cross sat at 2-5 (1-4 in CCAC). However, they picked up the pace in December, winning six of seven to start the month. After returning from winter break, the Saints ripped off three straight conference wins in five days. That boosted Holy Cross to a 6-6 mark in CCAC contests.Although they struggled to maintain consistency, the Saints battled down the stretch. They hovered around the .500 mark all season. On Senior Day, Holy Cross clinched at least an even record by toppling Trinity Christian. The Saints even came close to pulling off an upset over St. Francis in the conference tournament, leading in the early stages of the fourth quarter. Returning every starter except White, Holy Cross’s outlook is promising as they look for their first winning conference record since 2018-19.
