WORCESTER, Mass. — UMass Lowell women's basketball (5-7) battled early but could not keep pace down the stretch, falling 78–56 to Holy Cross (6-5) on Sunday afternoon at the Hart Center Arena.

"Disappointing way to finish before the holidays," commented head coach Jon Plefka. "We came out strong, but our lack of execution put us in a hole we couldn't get out off, especially against a very experienced team."

The River Hawks came out sharp to open the game, matching Holy Cross possession for possession through the first quarter. Senior guard Sabrina Larsson (Uppsala, Sweden) knocked down a pair of early three-pointers, and UMass Lowell briefly held a four-point edge midway through the period. The teams traded baskets throughout the final minutes of the quarter, with junior guard Paris Gilmore (Youngstown, Ohio) converting late to knot the game at 19–19 heading into the second.

Holy Cross began to shift momentum in the second quarter, stringing together stops and capitalizing in transition. After senior guard Jaini Edmonds (Worcester, Mass.) hit a three to pull the River Hawks within one at 25–24, the Crusaders responded with a late surge, closing the half on a 12–4 run to build a 39–28 advantage at the break.

The Crusaders continued to press coming out of halftime, opening the third quarter with an 11–2 run to push the lead into double figures. Despite baskets from freshman Tyanna Medina (Lawrence, Mass.) and Larsson to momentarily halt the run, Holy Cross leaned on fast-break opportunities and interior scoring to extend its lead to 59–39 by the end of the third.

UMass Lowell showed resilience in the fourth, with Medina drilling a three early in the period and Edmonds attacking the rim to trim the deficit, but Holy Cross maintained control with consistent scoring and rebounding. The Crusaders stretched the lead to as many as 26 late before closing out the 78–56 decision.

Larsson and Edmonds led the River Hawks with 15 points apiece. Larsson finished 4-of-7 from the field, including three triples, while Edmonds added three rebounds and two assists. Medina contributed eight points and a team-high seven rebounds, and Gilmore chipped in six off the bench.

UMass Lowell returns to play on December 29 with a home matchup against St. Joseph's Brooklyn at 6 p.m.