Men’s Basketball Advances to Patriot League Championship Game

Students, alumni, and fans of all ages who came to the Hart Center to see an exciting basketball game on Sunday were not disappointed. While the final score showed a wide margin victory, No. 2 Holy Cross provided energizing passes, shots, and passion in their 61-44 win over No. 6 Colgate in the Patriot League Tournament Semifinals which kept the crowd cheering loudly throughout the duration of the game.

In Holy Cross’ 50th win of the overall HC-Colgate series, Eric Meister ’10 led the team with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Hitting 90 percent of his shots, the junior forward broke a school record for best field goal percentage in a Patriot League Tournament game. Meister also contributed to the win with two phenomenal blocks, bringing the student section back to their feet with cheers of support and enthusiasm.

Coming off a Bucknell victory in which he scored a career high 31 points, Patriot League Rookie of the Year, R.J. Evans ’12, continued to be a valuable asset to the Crusaders. A crowd favorite, the freshman guard chipped in 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the win.

Claire Moynahan ’11, who has attended nearly all of the team’s home games this season, commented on Evans’ ability to rally students and keep the crowd begging for more.

“He lights up the court whenever he is in,” she says. “He is fun to watch and it’s great to know that we still have three more years to cheer for him after this season is over.”

Holy Cross set the tone for the game holding Colgate scoreless for the first few minutes. Once in this hole, the Raiders were unable to take the lead for the game’s entirety. Holy Cross reached a game high 27 point lead with about 10 minutes to go in the second half. Overall, the Crusaders were able to hold the Raiders to 31.9 percent shooting from the field, leading to their 17 point victory.

With the win, the Crusaders attain an overall record of 18-13 and will travel to Washington, D.C. to face No. 1 American in the Patriot League Tournament championship game. Holy Cross is 1-1 against the Eagles this season, losing in their second match-up by only six points. While American has won three out of the last four games between the schools, Holy Cross has an overall series advantage of 15-6 and is 7-4 in games played on the road in Washington, D.C.

If the Crusaders are able to topple American, they will claim their sixth Patriot League Tournament Crown, and their first since winning two years ago in 2007. This will be the 10th time that Holy Cross has appeared in the championship game, which is the most in Patriot League history. The game is scheduled to tip off at 4:45 p.m. on Friday and will be televised on ESPN2.

By Mary Moczula ’11

Pictured: Eric Meister '10

Related Information:

• GoHolyCross.com