Niekelski Leads the Way in Loss to Holy Cross

Tuesday, November 16

Worcester, Mass.

6:00 PM

Dartmouth College

0-3,0-0Ivy League

Holy Cross

1-2,0-0Patriot

Dartmouth

Holy Cross

Freshman Grace Niekelski

Photo by: Brian Foley

Niekelski Leads the Way in Loss to Holy Cross

11/16/2021 7:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

The Dartmouth women's basketball team struggled against Holy Cross on Tuesday, falling by a score of 77-49

By: Charlotte Brackett

WORCESTER, Mass. – Grace Niekelski had a career-best 16 point-performance in Dartmouth's 77-49 loss to Holy Cross at the Hart Center at Luth Athletic Complex on Tuesday.

Niekelski went 7-for-10 in field goals (.700), 1-for-3 in 3-pointers (.333) and 1-for-2 in free throws (.500). Finishing with eight points was Carrington Washburn after going 2-for-5 in FG, 2-for-4 in threes and a perfect 2-for-2 in charity shots.

A trey for them 10 seconds in and one for us 20 seconds later by Rosie Jennings set the pace of the first quarter, but seven quick Crusader points gave them some distance (10-3). Over the next four minutes, Dartmouth had a 7-4 advantage thanks to a shot from the line by Emma Koch and 3-pointers by Washburn and Katie Douglas (14-10). An 8-0 Holy Cross run put it ahead before Niekelski cut in with a three to make it 24-15 after one quarter.

Five straight for the home team started the second, broken up by a Koch charity shot at 7:44 (29-16). Back-to-back jumpers by Jimena Abejon and Niekelski got the Big Green four points closer after Dartmouth started grabbing rebounds (32-20). A jumper and a layup, both by Niekelski, brought her to nine at the half, while Mia Curtis' first three of the game ended the second (43-27).

Dartmouth picked up the first two points of the third thanks to Jennings, while a Niekelski free throw added one more before Holy Cross got going (49-30). The Green held Holy Cross in place for over four minutes while Abejon, Isabella DiGiovanni and Jennings added to Dartmouth's total (52-36), but the Crusaders responded with a 6-0 run in the final seconds (59-36).

The early parts of the fourth went Dartmouth's way; two good free throws and a jumper by Mekkena Boyd, and a trifecta and three foul shots from Washburn had the Big Green with a 9-5 advantage (64-45). Although the next nine points went the other way, Niekelski stopped the run with a swisher with 4:32 to go (73-47). Scoring was low in the final minutes, ending with a Holy Cross jumper (77-49).

The Big Green will have a week and a half until their next outing, this time to North Andover, Massachusetts, for an afternoon tilt at Merrimack on Saturday, Nov. 27.