Making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last three seasons, the number 15 seed Holy Cross women’s basketball team fell 83-48 to number two Michigan in an opening round, nationally televised matchup on ESPN2 on Friday.
It was a bittersweet ending to the 2025-26 season for the Crusaders (23-10), who advanced to the NCAAs for the 15th time in program history after capturing their 14th Patriot League championship with a seven-point win against Lehigh at the Hart Center on March 15.
Coming into the game against Michigan, Holy Cross had won nine straight, including 13 of their last 14 contests. The Crusaders also recorded 20 or more wins for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
Senior Kaitlyn Flanagan, the Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player, led Holy Cross with a team-high 11 points on four of eight shooting from the field. She is just the third player in the history of the program to finish her career with more than 1,000 points and 500 assists. Flannagan has played and started in every game during her four years, a remarkable streak of 131 straight.
“As a group we were just so excited to get to come to Michigan–be a 15-seed, play a two-seed–have that super positive ending to what was a really positive four years,” said Flanagan in the postgame press conference. “I think we’re all super grateful for that. We’re grateful for each other and we’re grateful that we got to do it with this team and these coaches for sure.”
Fellow seniors Simone Foreman (8 points, 5 rebounds), Meg Cahalan (7 points) and Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly (7 points, 6 rebounds) also contributed in their final game as Crusaders. As a group, the four seniors won three conference titles and put together an overall record of 87-44 during their four years at Holy Cross.
“I’ll always look back at winning this year against Lehigh, doing it on our home court, doing it as the four seniors. Every senior had a great game,” added Cahalan. “I could not have written a better ending for my Patriot League career.”
Holy Cross head coach Candice Green led the Crusaders to an NCAA Tournament appearance and a Patriot League title in just her second year at the helm of the program. She also noted the strong play of the four seniors as the driving force behind a successful season.
“I thought our senior leadership, once we settled into things, was really good. I’m happy our seniors go out here with a bang,” said Green. “They have kept this team together. Obviously their legacy is going to be up there. Three championships–that’s a pretty good college career. I know I’m jealous.”
The Wolverines (26-6), ranked ninth nationally in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, opened the game on a 10-0 run and quickly built a commanding 27-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders were held scoreless for the first four minutes of play until a Flanagan bucket just before the six-minute mark.
But Holy Cross regained its composure and played Michigan nearly even in the second and third quarters, only being outscored by two points during that 20-minute span (30-28).
Sophomore Mila Holloway led five Wolverines in double figures with game-highs of 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Michigan held a 43-28 advantage in rebounding and forced 20 Crusader turnovers.
Mike Vigneux is a freelance writer in Worcester with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of municipal government, communications, and public relations. An avid fan of all sports, Mike enjoys telling the stories of local athletes and their teams. He holds two degrees from Clark University, a bachelor of arts in Communication and a master of science in Professional Communication. He can be reached at Mikevigs@gmail.com
