Boston University’s women’s basketball team ended its regular season with a 64-58 loss to Holy Cross on Wednesday at Case Gym. Senior Bella McLaughlin led the Terriers with 17 points, five assists, and three rebounds.
The Terriers (10-19 overall, 6-12 Patriot League) overcame an early 10-point deficit and held a lead of up to 12 points in the fourth quarter. However, they went scoreless for nearly seven minutes as Holy Cross (20-9, 14-4 PL) outscored them 25-10 in the final period.
With this result, Boston University will be the No. 8 seed in the upcoming Patriot League Tournament and is set to host ninth-seeded American in the first round on Saturday at Case Gym.
McLaughlin was joined by classmate Inés Monteagudo Pardo, who hit four three-pointers for a total of 12 points. Senior Anete Adler added another 10 points for BU.
For Holy Cross, Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly recorded a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Meg Cahalan contributed significantly as well, scoring ten of her eighteen points during the fourth quarter.
“McLaughlin opened the game with an underhanded layup on a drive through the right lane, but Holy Cross utilized an 11-2 run in a 4:08 span on 3-for-4 shooting from distance for an 11-4 lead,” according to Boston University Athletics. The Terriers managed to cut into that lead by ending the first quarter on a seven-point run and continued their momentum into the second quarter.
The teams traded leads throughout much of the game. At halftime, BU led by four after late three-pointers from Allison Schwertner and Monteagudo Pardo. In the third quarter, Adler helped extend BU’s advantage before Monteagudo sparked another Terrier run that gave them their largest lead at ten points late in that period.
Holy Cross responded strongly in the fourth quarter with thirteen straight points to take back control of the game. “Adler and Cahalan then traded baskets, the latter giving the Crusaders a 54-53 lead with 3:16 remaining.” The Crusaders increased their margin down the stretch and secured victory following key plays from Donnelly and Asia Wilson.
Statistically, BU shot just over forty-one percent from the field and made eight of nineteen attempts from beyond the arc but struggled offensively late in the contest. Holy Cross finished below thirty-seven percent shooting but dominated rebounding (37–30), converting eleven offensive boards into twenty second-chance points.
Notes provided by Boston University indicate McLaughlin has scored double digits eleven times this season—five times in her last six games—and is averaging over thirteen points per game during that span. Monteagudo closes her regular season leading all Patriot League players with a .435 three-point percentage while averaging three-and-a-half threes per game over her last six appearances. Adler averaged sixteen points per conference outing where she reached double figures twelve times out of fifteen games played.
Holy Cross now holds a record of twenty-seven wins against sixteen losses all-time versus Boston University after sweeping this year’s regular-season series for their first time since 2018–19.
Boston University will next face American University as part of Saturday’s opening round action in conference tournament play at home.
