Foreman pouring it on for lockdown Holy Cross
Simone Foreman didn’t expect to be a starter for the Holy Cross women’s basketball team as a sophomore.
But just before the season opener against Boston College, Foreman saw her name written down as the Crusaders prepared. She called her mother, Jennette, as soon as she could with the exciting news.
“I just thought it was the biggest blessing in the world, because that’s all I really wanted, just working for that,” Foreman said. “But definitely, I was really nervous, especially because I knew that it came with a lot more weight on my shoulders, and a lot more expectations in how I hold myself.”
The Crusaders (12-5, 6-0 Patriot League) graduated only Addisyn Cross from last season’s conference championship roster. Many expect them to run it back to another March Madness appearance this year, but that doesn’t mean using the same formula.
Enter Foreman, who played 15 minutes per game off the bench as a freshman. The 5-foot-9-inch guard has hit her stride during the team’s eight-game win streak. Since conference play began, the Maryland native is averaging nearly a double-double (10.5 points, 9.8 rebounds) and making 56.3 percent of her field goal attempts.
“She’s one of the strongest guards in our league, quickest guards, and she just is that next-level athlete for us that has just created a lot of mismatch problems for our opponents,” coach Maureen Magarity said.
Foreman plays much larger than her size. Her power drives and cuts help balance Holy Cross offensively, and her nose for rebounds and physicality fit in one of the country’s best defenses.
“I feel like that’s where a lot of my energy kind of goes,” Foreman said. “I love to hustle. I love to go for 50-50 balls. I love to hype up my defense, be there for help, be there for the extra passes — just kind of be there for the more energetic plays, especially on defense.”
Holy Cross has held every opponent under 58 points during the win streak. The defense ranks eighth in the nation in opposing points per game (52.6) and third in opposing field goal percentage (33.9 percent). Despite scarcely forcing turnovers — their 12.5 per game rank 346th — the Crusaders have constructed a fortress.
“We always kind of had to slow teams down a little bit more, and overthink teams, keep them a little off balance, make teams really have to read our defense and make the right reads,” Magarity said. “It’s hard when you play against a team that plays that kind of defense for 40 minutes.”
Foreman has learned the value of accountability when playing a major role. She believes she has improved her discipline on defense and commits fewer careless fouls, but more importantly, she’s more receptive to constructive criticism.
When she first became a starter, the job was nerve-racking for Foreman, particularly on a team that’s expected to win. She would get frustrated when she didn’t shoot well and rush into mistakes. During those tough games, she found support from her team but also her parents and two siblings.
“They’re always just there to encourage me,” Foreman said. “Especially after the game, the first thing I want to do is just go on my phone and see what my family texted me, because their texts always boost my confidence.”
Getting back to March Madness is a logical goal for the Crusaders, and given their experience and success so far, it’s certainly attainable. But the postseason is still more than a month away. Magarity admires how her team hasn’t gotten complacent while thinking about the future.
“I think the thing that I’m just so happy and impressed with every day is that,” she said, “even with a group like the seniors we have, that have played so many minutes and won so many games, they just come in every game, just so focused, determined.”
Coaching milestone
Stonehill’s Trisha Brown coached her 636th game Sunday against Merrimack, tying Paula Sullivan for the most in program history. Brown is 414-222 in her 23 seasons and has overseen the program’s transition to Division 1 in 2022-23 . . . Boston University forward Caitlin Weimar surpassed 1,000 career points in the Terriers’ 73-66 victory against Colgate last Saturday . . . Harvard’s Harmoni Turner was named Ivy League co-Player of the Week after tying her career high with 31 points in Saturday’s 69-56 win over Penn . . . Duke, helped by Massachusetts natives Taina
Mair and Oluchi Okananwa, upset No. 13 Virginia Tech, 63-46, last Thursday.