The Holy Cross women’s basketball team, like the men’s side, took a win over the weekend with an 85-67 win over St. Ambrose. Now 2-1 in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play this season, the Saints returned to the win column after their canceled game against Great Lakes Christian College.
St. Ambrose took the first two points of the first quarter, but Holy Cross responded as sophomore forward Brooke Lindesmith made a jump shot to tie the score. St. Ambrose held the lead as it went on a five-point run to bring the score to 7-2 before senior forward Grace Adams put in a layup. After another layup from the Fighting Bees, Adams added two free throws to bring the score to 9-6, but St. Ambrose responded with another two two points.
St. Ambrose added on a layup, but freshman guard La’Bria Austin added on a three-point shot to bring the score to 11-9. After a shooting foul, St. Ambrose added another point to the board, but freshman forward Allie Caldwell countered with a three-point shot to tie the score at 12. The Fighting Bees added on a jump shot to regain the lead before committing a shooting foul, allowing Lindesmith to make a free throw ahead of an Adams jumper that took the lead for the Saints. St. Ambrose scored the final point off of a shooting foul to tie up the score 15 at the end of the first quarter.
The teams went back and forth in the second quarter before a shooting foul on St. Ambrose sparked the Saints offense, as Adams made both free throws and a layup, sophomore guard Lilly Toppen added a three-point shot and Caldwell added two layups and a free throw. St. Ambrose pulled three points back, but Austin replied by adding on a layup to bring the score to 29-18.
After five points from St. Ambrose, the two teams went back and forth with multiple turnovers before Austin added on a three-point shot to bring the score to 32-23. St. Ambrose ended the first half strong as it went on a six-point run to bring the score to 32-29.
Heading into the third quarter, St. Ambrose gained the lead as it scored seven points right off the bat to make the score 36-32. Holy Cross responded as Lindesmith added a jump shot to bring the score to 36-34 before committing a shooting foul that allowed the Fighting Bees to add on another point for themselves. Adams added on another free throw, but St. Ambrose wasted no time as it added on a layup to bring the score to 39-35.
Senior guard Kayliana Hammel added three points to bring the score to a one-point difference at 39-38, but St. Ambrose fought back with a layup. Caldwell went coast to coast as she put up a three-point shot for the Saints to tie up the score at 41, but St. Ambrose responded by putting up two points to maintain the 43-41 lead.
Austin added on two free throws to tie up the score at 43 and Hammel added a layup to help the Saints regain the 45-43 lead. While the Fighting Bees added on another layup for themselves, junior guard Audrey Tallent added on her first two points of the night, Austin contributed a layup, Adams talied two layups and Caldwell made on a layup, free throw and a three-point shot. St. Ambrose scored the final point of the quarter, but the Saints stayed ahead at 59-46.
St. Ambrose scored the first point of the fourth quarter, but Holy Cross responded as Austin added on a layup and Adams made a jump shot to bring the score to 63-48. After four more points were scored by St. Ambrose, Caldwell added on a jump shot and a free throw and Adams made two free throws to make the score 68-52.
The Fighting Bees managed three more points for themselves before a shooting foul allowed Adams to add two more points and make the score 70-55. St. Ambrose quickly recovered, adding seven more points before another shooting foul sparked a Holy Cross run to move into a 79-64 lead.
Adams quickly responded as she put up a jump shot and a layup alongside Caldwell, who added on a layup to bring the score to 85-64. The Fighting Bees added on a jump shot and finished the game with a free throw, but the Saints finished with the 85-67 win.
Adams led the team as she finished with 27 points alongside Caldwell who finished with 26. The team will now prepare to host Saint Mary’s College at home on Dec. 11, starting at 5:30 p.m.
