Sports

Holy Cross’ Unlikely Path to March Madness

March 22, 2016

Holy Cross’ Robert Champion (22) celebrates after the team’s First Four game against Southern University in the NCAA college basketball tournament Wednesday, March 16, 2016, in Dayton, Ohio. Holy Cross won 59-55 (AP Photo/John Minchillo).

By: Eric Wood

The chances to make the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball tournament with a 14-19 record are almost impossible, so how did the Holy Cross Crusaders make it?

They made it by winning the Patriot League tournament and winning a play-in game.

The Holy Cross Crusaders were 5-13 in conference play and were placed in the 9 spot of a 10 seed bracket. They upset Loyola first, and then beat the #1 seed, Bucknell, in double overtime.

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Next, they played 4 seeded Army West Point, winning by 22 points, earning them a spot in the championship.

Finally, the Holy Cross faced the 2 seeded Lehigh for the championship of the Patriot League. After 40 minutes of play, Holy Cross came out on top by just a 3-point margin.

By winning the Patriot League championship, Holy Cross clinched a spot in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

Holy Cross hasn’t made it to the NCAA tournament since 2007. A bit of trivia is Holy Cross has won the NCAA championship before. That championship came in 1947, 69 years ago.

Holy Cross is also the only team in this year’s NCAA tournament with a losing record.

On March 16, Holy Cross finalized their spot on the bracket with a win in a play-in game against Southern University winning 59-54.

Holy Cross eventually ended their improbable run with a 91-52 loss against #1 seed Oregon on Friday, March 18. Despite their series of wins, the Holy Cross Crusaders ended their season with a losing record of 15 wins against 20 losses.

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