But with their offense still productive and their high-end defense underpinning them, the Crusaders have had a successful brand of methodical basketball.
“It feels really good to be able to go out there and just play and see who happens to step up and have a good scoring game,” said before the sophomore year. lindsey Burger“It’s definitely a fun way to play basketball.”
lost the holy cross Avery Lavarbera, 2021-22 Patriot League Player of the Year, to Wisconsin on the Alumni Transfer Portal. With her departure, the Crusaders lost their go-to scorer. Instead of one stepping up, the rest of the team has collectively adapted.
coach maureen magarity When she took over last season, she implemented a more free-flowing, aggressive style and sticks with it. Holy Cross doesn’t run many sets. Players rely on each other to keep the ball moving and off the floor to stay active. A well-oiled motion offense can be difficult to scout and find weaknesses.
“It’s a fun offense to play when you have the right players,” said Magality. You also need a player with a fairly high IQ to run that offense. [have] standing a lot
Magarity says he developed an offensive style influenced by his career as a 6-foot-1-inch forward at Marist.She also learned from her father, her former Army coach Dave McGarityoften making attacks through dominant post players.
Berger, a post player, Janelle Allen In the attack of Magority. The 6-2 forward averaged 6.8 minutes per game last season, but this year after switching to the bench role, she was third on the team in scoring (9.5 points) and 52.2% of the field in the Patriot League. The goal clip.
“I’ve heard the phrase ‘your hard work pays off’ a lot over the last year. One day, you’ll look back on this and be very grateful for all the work you did,” Berger said. “I think this preseason in particular has shown that. So it’s been very rewarding, to say the least.”
During her time in the reserves, she improved her strength and worked to break out of her post.
“In our main offense, it’s usually the post player who’s heading towards the elbow and into the top of the key,” Berger said. You can also know who is cutting where and where the shooter is on the team. ”
Of course, the league’s best defense remains the backbone of a scorching start. The Crusaders rank him ninth in the country, allowing him just 52.5 points per game. Last Wednesday, they won a defensive-versus-offensive battle when he beat high-octane conference rival Lehi 66-64.
“I mean, I saw a game against Lehi. They shot two seconds after the shot clock and scored 90-plus points,” Magariti said. “So I’m really, really proud of it.”
Holy Cross is battling a temporary lull in its offense when players need to step up and get the bucket late in the shot clock. But with so many options, the Crusaders have consistently outpaced their league opponents.
“Besides our main offense, there’s a million and one things we can do,” Berger said.
freshman feat
Boston University point guard Taina Mare He currently owns the school record for assists in a season by a freshman so far with 140. Her total is her second in the nation, behind only Connecticut. Nika Muhl …Tohoku freshmen Ariana Webb After averaging 10 points and 4 rebounds in two starts, he earned Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week honors… UMass (13-4, 3-1 Atlantic 10) , St. Joseph (14 -3, 4-1) back from a double-digit deficit on Saturday in the first meeting loss.
