NCAA INTERACTIVE BRACKET | HOLY CROSS PREVIEW
 
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – No. 15 Holy Cross (23-9, 14-4 PL), the 2026 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Champion will face No. 2 Michigan (25-6, 15-3 Big Ten) on Friday in the NCAA DI Women’s Basketball Tournament First Round at the Crisler Center.

HOW TO WATCH: Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, where Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli and Jess Sims will call the action.
 
NCAA DI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND
NO. 15 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (23-9, 14-4 PL) AT NO. 2 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (25-6, 15-3 BIG TEN)
Crisler Center/Ann Arbor, Mich.
ABOUT HOLY CROSS: The Crusaders enter the tournament on a nine-game winning streak dating back to Feb. 7. Holy Cross opened postseason play with a dominant 72-36 victory over No. 10 Colgate in the quarterfinals before earning two close wins against No. 3 Army West Point, 61-55, in the semifinals and No. 4 Lehigh, 77-70, in the championship game.
*Senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan was named Championship MVP after recording 16 points and nine assists in the title game, helping the Crusaders secure their 14th Patriot League title and third in four years. Senior forward Meg Cahalan joined Flanagan on the All-Tournament Team after averaging 16.0 points per game during the tournament.
*Flanagan and Cahalan also earned All-League honors, with Cahalan being named to the first team and Flanagan earning second-team recognition.
*Cahalan averaged 15.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game during the regular season to help Holy Cross earn the No. 2 seed, while Flanagan added 8.9 points per game and tied for third in the League with 4.0 assists per game, becoming the eighth player in Patriot League history to reach 500 career assists. Junior guard Kendall Eddy was named to the Patriot League All-Defensive Team after ranking second in the League with 2.2 steals per game.
*Head coach Candice Green is in her third season with the Crusaders. She helped Holy Cross win the 2023-24 Patriot League title as an assistant coach before being named interim head coach prior to the 2024-25 season and later earning the permanent role. Through two seasons at the helm, the Crusaders have won 42 games and reached at least the Patriot League semifinals each year.
 
 
ABOUT MICHIGAN: No. 2 Michigan (25-6, 15-3 Big Ten) fell in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, losing to No. 2 Iowa. Michigan posted a 14-1 home record and earned the highest seed in program history. The Wolverines will make their 14th NCAA Tournament appearance and eighth in the last nine seasons. Michigan is led by three double-figure scorers, Olivia Olson (19.2 points per game), Syla Swords (14.5 points per game) and Mila Holloway (12.4 points per game), and is anchored defensively by 2025 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Player of the Year Ashley Sofilkanich (1.1 blocks per game), who transferred to Michigan this year. The Wolverines also lead the Big Ten in forced turnovers, averaging 21.87 per game.
 
 
HOLY CROSS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
Q. You guys just came off a big tournament victory and both of you had All Tournament – All-Patriot League Tournament honors. How has that momentum kind of helped you prepare for this moment against Michigan tomorrow?
 
MEGAN CAHALAN: Yeah, obviously, it was really good momentum coming into here. Obviously, we've been blessed to be able to be here three times, so we kind of know how the process works. We know how good these teams are. We've played against really good competition in our past four years, so obviously having a really good -- great game -- all four seniors had a really great game against Lehigh in the championship, so I think just that momentum, we're ready to come here and compete.
 
Q. There's been a ton of buzz here about how much women's basketball has really grown over the last few years, specifically women's basketball, and it's really exciting to see you guys here at this stage alongside another great Michigan team. Could you talk a little bit about how encouraging it is to see how the game has grown, throughout your college careers especially?
 
KAITLYN FLANAGAN: Definitely. I think we've definitely seen it, like you said, grow over even just our four years, so the amount of growth in such a short amount of time is really crazy. Being a part of the March Madness tournament, like, we kind of get to see that firsthand. We're such a small part, I think, of what's happened. Some of these bigger names -- bigger schools have really taken the charge with that. But to be a part of it, even in a small way, I think we're really grateful for it and to be able to witness it firsthand has been so, so cool. Just like the support that we've got and even at our school, at Holy Cross, has been amazing over the last four years.
 
For more from Coach Green, Meg Cahalan and Kaitlyn Flanagan, click below:
HOLY CROSS PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT | VIDEO
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT VICTORIES
The Crusaders look to win their third tournament game in program history. Holy Cross remains the only Patriot League team with a Tournament win having earned two. In 1991, the Crusaders upset No. 6 Maryland 81-74. In 2023-24, Holy Cross downed UT Martin, 72-45, in the First Four. The Crusaders have an opportunity to make further history by becoming the first No. 15 seed to win a game in NCAA Women's Tournament history.
 
HOLY CROSS TOURNAMENT HISTORY
1991 – Second Round
No. 8 Holy Cross def. No. 9 Maryland, 81-74
No. 1 Auburn def. No. 8 Holy Cross, 84-58
 
1995 – First Round
No. 5 Colorado def. No. 12 Holy Cross, 83-49
 
1996 – First Round
No. 1 Old Dominion def. No. 16 Holy Cross, 83-56
 
1998 – First Round
No. 1 Louisiana Tech def. No. 16 Holy Cross, 86-58
 
1999 – First Round
No. 1 Duke def. No. 16 Holy Cross, 79-51
 
2000 – First Round
No. 2 Rutgers def. No. 15 Holy Cross, 91-70
 
2001 – First Round
No. 3 Florida def. No. 14 Holy Cross, 84-52
 
2003 – First Round
No. 2 Penn State def. No. 15 Holy Cross, 64-33
 
2005 – First Round
No. 1 Ohio State def. No. 16 Holy Cross, 86-45
 
2007 – First Round
No. 1 Duke def. No. 16 Holy Cross, 81-44
 
2023 – First Round
No. 2 Maryland def. No. 15 Holy Cross, 93-61
 
2024 – First Four
No. 16 Holy Cross def. No. 16 UT Martin, 72-45

First Round
No. 1 Iowa def. No. 16 Holy Cross, 91-65
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE HISTORY AS A NO. 15 SEED
No. 2 Old Dominion 83, No. 15 Holy Cross 56 (1995-96)
No. 2 Rutgers 91, No. 15 Holy Cross 70 (1999-2000)
No. 2 Baylor 80, No. 15 Bucknell 56 (2001-02)
No. 2 Ohio State 86, No. 15 Holy Cross 45 (2004-05)
No. 2 Tennessee 102, No. 15 Army West Point 54 (2005-06)
No. 2 Auburn 85, No. 15 Lehigh 49 (2008-09)
No. 2 Maryland 59, No. 15 Navy 44 (2011-12)
No. 2 Kentucky 61, No. 15 Navy 41 (2012-13)
No. 2 Maryland 93, No. 15 Holy Cross 61 (2022-23)
No. 2 Duke 86, No. 15 Lehigh 25 (2024-25)
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.