WORCESTER, Mass – Lehigh women’s basketball outscored Holy Cross 14-4 in overtime to secure a 69-59 victory over the Crusaders on Saturday afternoon at the Hart Center. With the win, Lehigh extended its streak to 10 straight victories, improving to 21-4 (12-1 PL), while Holy Cross dropped to 15-8 (9-5 PL).
Senior guard Ella Stemmer made history in the win, notching her 1,000th career point and also hitting her 200th career three-pointer. Stemmer entered Saturday’s game needing just one point to reach the 1,000-point mark and finished with a team-high 16 points. The Ann Arbor, Mich., native is now the 24th player in program history to score 1,000 points and the third player to reach 200 made three-pointers.
“I think it’s awesome,” said head coach Addie Micir. “Anytime you score 1,000 points or hit those threes—many of which have been assisted—it’s an incredible milestone for the whole team. That’s why her teammates celebrated her the way they did. My favorite part of the game was the run Ella went on by herself. That’s the confident Ella we need, and if reaching 1,000 points gives her that boost, we’re ready to keep going.”
Micir also gave credit to Holy Cross, acknowledging their defensive effort. “They’re scrappy defensively and get their hands on a lot of balls. It was full force. I always like to see teams healthy, and it was great to see Simone Foreman back in the lineup—she’s been a big asset for them. For us, we knew it would be a dogfight. We knew we’d be scrapping and clawing the entire way.”
Fifth-year senior wing Maddie Albrecht sent the game into overtime, scoring a driving layup with 10 seconds remaining. Although Holy Cross scored the opening bucket in overtime, Lehigh quickly took control, outscoring the Crusaders 14-4 in the final five minutes.
Albrecht (15 points) and senior guard Remi Sisselman (12 points) also joined Stemmer in double figures. Sisselman was especially outstanding, going a perfect 5-of-5 from the field. She scored eight of Lehigh’s 14 overtime points, including a crucial over-the-shoulder jump shot.
“Remi can be our X-factor,” Micir said. “We’ve been saying that all year. Moments like this, where she steps up, goes 5-of-5 from the field, and hits a huge shot—those are the plays that make a difference.”
Saturday’s game featured nine lead changes and nine ties. The Crusaders opened the game with a 6-0 run and maintained their lead, finishing the first period with a 15-7 advantage. Lehigh surged in the second quarter, going on a 13-5 run to take its first lead with 4:04 remaining in the first half.
First-year Belle Bramer tied the game with a jump shot as time expired in the first half.
Holy Cross led by as many as nine points in the third quarter, while limiting Lehigh to just two field goals. The Crusaders held a 42-35 lead after the third period. However, Lehigh opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run to claw back from their seven-point deficit, ultimately outscoring Holy Cross 20-13 in the final frame to force overtime.
Saturday’s game was a back-and-forth contest, with both teams finishing 25-of-62 (40.3%) from the field. Lehigh shot 7-of-30 (23.3%) from long range, while the Crusaders shot 6-of-22 (27.3%). Lehigh tallied 15 assists on its 25 made field goals, with senior guard Colleen McQuillen dishing out a game-high five assists.
Meg Cahalan led the Crusaders with a game-high 18 points.
Next up, the Mountain Hawks return home on Wednesday to face Bucknell at 6 p.m. in Lehigh’s Pride Game, presented by the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity.
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