Holy Cross holds on to finally beat Bucknell in Patriot League

Mar 10, 2007 - 12:42 AM By PA SportsTicker

The third time proved to be the charm for Holy Cross in the Patriot League title game - but not without some major drama.

Torey Thomas scored 26 points as the Crusaders blew an 18-point lead but rebounded to post a 74-66 victory over two-time defending champion Bucknell and clinch an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

It will be the first trip to the NCAAs since 2003 for Holy Cross (25-8), which had come up short in its previous two appearances in the title games over the last two years.

The team responsible for denying the Crusaders a trip to the NCAA Tournament twice before was the Bisons (22-9), who appeared to be finished after Holy Cross continued to build to a sizeable halftime lead after the break.

Leading 35-22 at intermission, the Crusaders went on to push the lead to 41-23 with 18:08 remaining after Thomas completed a three-point play.

However, Bucknell, which split the regular-season series with Holy Cross, began to chip away at the deficit, eventually tying the contest at 53-53 after a follow shot by Darren Mastropaolo capped an 11-2 run with 5:50 left.

The Crusaders, meanwhile, regained their composure at the free-throw line, as Keith Simmons made four straight. Thomas added a 3-pointer, pushing the lead to 60-53 with 3:15 remaining.

Thomas and Simmons, who finished with 23 points, combined for 10 free throws down the stretch to seal the championship.

So far, 15 automatic bids have been awarded. The entire 65-team field will be announced by the NCAA Selection Committee on Sunday.