Though Dartmouth shot only 30.9 percent versus 46.8 percent for the Crusaders, the Big Green attempted to make up the difference by maintaining control of the glass. Dartmouth racked up a 42-33 rebounding advantage for the game, including a season-high 20 offensive rebounds, keeping the contest close.
But in the end, co-captain Kristen Craft '08 was not pleased with the result.
"We did rebound well against Holy Cross, which gave us a lot of second chances, but we shot poorly from the outside," said Craft.
The teams battled over possession throughout the first period until Holy Cross guard Briana McFadden led the Crusaders on an 11-2 run in which they scored nine points, gaining a 21-11 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the half.
Dartmouth slowly chipped away at Holy Cross' lead with a 14-5 run and managed to go into the locker rooms down by only one.
In the second half, the Big Green got four quick points from Scott to take its final lead of the game at 29-28. Holy Cross responded quickly, building a lead of seven.
The Big Green came within three points of the Crusaders on multiple occasions but could not string together the necessary defensive stops or big shots to pull even.
Holy Cross shot at an impressive 61.9 percent in the second. Dartmouth, on the other hand, failed to net a three-pointer despite 11 attempts in the second. This proved a critical factor in the Big Green's loss, as Holy Cross went 7 for 15 overall from beyond the arc.
"They made key shots down the stretch and we just couldn't manage to keep up," said Craft. "We didn't make a three in the second half, which hurt any momentum we could get going."
On the bright side, the Big Green saw an outstanding performance from forward Brittney Smith '11, who demonstrated her all-around game with a career-high 17 points, in addition to eight rebounds, six steals and three blocks. Other notable performances came from co-captain Sydney Scott '08 with eight points and 13 rebounds and Betsy Williams '10 with 11 points.
The Big Green will travel to Virginia Tech on Sunday to compete in its final non-conference match before kicking off the battle for the Ivy crown.
