WORCESTER, Mass. – The Connecticut College women's basketball team gave Division I Holy Cross a run for its money on Sunday afternoon, leading for long stretches before yielding a 65-49 decision to the Crusaders at the Hart Center.

Conn used a 10-2 run in the opening quarter to grab the lead, and played from in front for 13:28 in the first half. The Camels led by as many as 11 in the second quarter before Holy Cross reeled them in before the halftime buzzer.

Jaycie Rojik (Scituate, Mass.) paced Conn with 13 points and five rebounds in her first start of the season. Molly Cronin (Wellesley, Mass.) and Aislinn McMahon (Andover, Mass.) chipped in eight points apiece while Rebecca Oberman-Levine (Hamden, Conn.) contributed six points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three assists.

The Camels came out firing on all cylinders, shooting 8-for-13 from the floor in the first quarter to catch the Crusaders on their heels. With the score tied at 10-10 with 5:03 left, Conn closed the period on a 10-2 run to seize the momentum. Cronin got things started with a layup in the paint, and Catie Donadio (Clinton, Conn.) followed with a three-point play. After a Holy Cross basket, Rojik added a layup and McMahon capped the stretch with a three-pointer for a 20-12 advantage. 

The Camels also did the job on the defensive end, forcing Holy Cross into three misses and three turnovers over the final 2:29 of the first. The Crusaders shot just 4-for-15 in the period and turned the ball over five times.

Conn stretched the lead to 11 when Cronin drilled a three-pointer to open the second quarter. The Camels led for the majority of the stanza, and were up 33-25 following a three by McMahon with 1:54 left in the half. However, Holy Cross ripped off nine straight points—seven of which came from Bronagh Power-Cassidy—to steal the lead heading into the break.

Holy Cross never trailed in the second half and built a double-digit lead before the start of the fourth quarter. The Crusaders also turned up the intensity on the defensive end, limiting the Camels to only five field goals in the second half. 

Conn ended the game with a higher shooting percentage than its counterpart, but couldn't overcome a season-high 24 turnovers. 

Power-Cassidy led four Crusaders in double figures with a game-high 16 points. 

The Camels (1-3 overall) will next host Eastern Connecticut State University on Sunday, November 27 at noon.