Andre Ingram hit a miracle three-pointer to tie the game with 39 seconds remaining, but Patriot League Player of the Year Keith Simmons scored with five seconds remaining to give Holy Cross a 55-53 victory over the Eagles on Sunday at the Hart Center in Worcester.
Things seemed bleak for AU after point guard Torey Thomas hit a three-pointer with 5:08 remaining to put the Crusaders up 49-40. The Eagles managed to cut the lead to one after senior Arvydas Eitutavicius knocked down a three-pointer from the corner, but Tim Clifford responded by drawing a foul and sinking both free throws to put Holy Cross up 53-50.
On the ensuing possession, Ingram put up a three-pointer that hit the back of the rim, popped straight up in the air, and dropped through the hoop to tie the game. The Crusaders held the ball for a final shot, leaving just under five seconds remaining after Simmons' basket went in. The final inbounds pass for the Eagles did not go as planned, with Brayden Billbe grabbing a loose ball and heaving the ball three-quarters of the way down the court for an unsuccessful final shot.
With the victory, the Crusaders advance to their third straight conference championship game on Friday afternoon. They will face off against Bucknell, who defeated Army 68-47 on Sunday. The Bison have defeated Holy Cross in the final game the past two years.
Ingram led all scorers with 20 points in his final game as an Eagle, but was the only player in double figures for AU. Tim Clifford led Holy Cross with 19 points, while Thomas scored 16 points and set game highs with nine rebounds and six assists.
AU seemingly took control of the game midway through the first half, holding Holy Cross scoreless for almost six minutes. Two three-pointers by Ingram highlighted the 9-0 run, which gave the Eagles a 22-14 lead with under eight minutes remaining in the half.
The Eagles took a five point lead into halftime and quickly stretched it to eight on a three-pointer by Ingram. However, Holy Cross erased the deficit quickly, taking a 36-35 lead on a three-pointer by Alex Vander Baan with 10:37 remaining.
Hoops Notes: AU out rebounded Holy Cross by a 33-29 margin, but the Crusaders dominated in the paint, outscoring the Eagles 32-16.The Eagles turned the ball over just 11 times.This is the third consecutive year that the Eagles were eliminated in the PL tournament semifinals.
