Holy Cross Basketball is #1

Men

With a 77-67 win Wednesday night over Navy, Holy Cross captured its first regular-season Patriot League crown. The 2000-01 Crusaders boast a season record of 19-5 overall, and 9-1 in Patriot League play. Under head coach Ralph Willard '’67, the men earned a first-round bye in the Patriot League Tournament, which begins March 4 at Navy. The tourney champion gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Crusaders will play their final home game of the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. against Lafayette in the Hart Center.

Women

Coached by Bill Gibbons, the 2000-01 Crusaders are undefeated in the Patriot League (10-0), and 18-7 overall. With a win Wednesday night over Navy (78-77), the team clinched its fifth-straight Patriot League regular season title and eighth overall.

Coming off an impressive victory over Michigan (62-58), the Crusaders have won 52 consecutive home game against Patriot League opponents at the Hart Center.

The Crusaders will play their final home game of the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 1 p.m. against Lafayette in the Hart Center.

Combined, the Holy Cross men's and women'’s basketball teams are ranked first in the nation for the highest conference winning percentage. With a combined record of 19-1, the Crusaders lead teams such as Pennsylvania, Tennessee Tech and Notre Dame, with a .944 winning percentage.

In addition, Holy Cross is one of only seven Division I schools in the nation in which both basketball teams are leading their respective conferences. In so doing, Holy Cross joins ranks with schools such as Iowa State, Notre Dame and Kent State.