EASTON, Pa. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined more by grit than grace, the Holy Cross women’s basketball team grinded out a 53-44 victory over Lafayette in a Patriot League contest Wednesday night at Kirby Sports Center.

The Crusaders, improving to 17-9 overall, never trailed but could never fully shake the persistent Leopards, who fell to 9-17. The game’s pivotal stretch came not in a flashy run, but in a decisive third-quarter response that solidified Holy Cross’s control.

After taking a 29-21 lead into halftime, Holy Cross saw Lafayette chip away, closing to within four points early in the third quarter. The Crusaders’ answer was a methodical 8-2 spurt, anchored by their interior presence. Janie Bachmann converted a pair of free throws, and after a Lafayette three-pointer, Meg Cahalan and Hannah Griffin hit consecutive jumpers to push the lead back to nine. That sequence, extending the advantage to 37-28, represented the game’s largest lead to that point and forced a Lafayette timeout. The Leopards would not get within six points again.

Holy Cross was led by a balanced offensive effort and a commanding performance in the paint, where they outscored Lafayette 24-14. Meg Cahalan, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Middletown, New Jersey, paced the Crusaders with 15 points, three assists and two blocks in 29 minutes. Kaitlyn Flanagan of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, added nine points and five assists, while Simone Foreman contributed eight points and three assists.

For Lafayette, Teresa Kiewiet of North Mankato, Minnesota, shouldered the scoring load with 14 points in 36 minutes. Haylie Adamski added eight points for the Leopards, who struggled to find consistent offense, particularly from beyond the arc.

The first half set the tone for a low-scoring affair. Holy Cross opened the game with an 8-0 run, capped by an early three-pointer from Foreman. Lafayette responded with an 11-4 run of its own, tying the game at 11-11 late in the first quarter. The Crusaders closed the period with an 8-0 burst to lead 19-11 and maintained that margin through a sloppy second quarter where both teams combined for 12 turnovers.

The fourth quarter saw Holy Cross maintain its composure and lead, which fluctuated between seven and eleven points. Lafayette made a final push in the closing minutes, cutting the deficit to seven with 29 seconds left on a layup by Emma Heaney, who scored all four of her points in the final frame. The Crusaders, however, managed the clock effectively and secured the win from the free-throw line.

The victory completed a regular-season sweep for Holy Cross over Lafayette, following a 70-48 win in Worcester on Jan. 17. The Crusaders have now won three of their last four games.

Attendance at Kirby Sports Center was 261.

Holy Cross next hosts Bucknell on Saturday. Lafayette travels to face American, also on Saturday.