Jeanette Paukert scored eight of her 19 points to spark a 22-8 tear as three-time defending Patriot League champion Holy Cross broke open a close game to take an 87-75 victory over Army Tuesday evening.

The Crusaders, registering their 50th straight league win at Hart Center, turned a slim four-point lead into an 18-point advantage over a span of eight minutes that started late in the first half and ended early in the second half. Holy Cross opened its tear with an 8-0 run that Paukert closed with a three-pointer and a pair of free throws to lead 44-34 at intermission. Paukert, who was 6 of 10 from the field, hit her fourth three-pointer during the Crusaders’ 14-6 spurt at the start of the second half that extended their lead to a 58-40 advantage with 14:39 to go.

Holy Cross, shooting 64.3 percent (18-28) in the second half, led by as many as 22 points with 7:39 left in closing out first-round league play unbeaten at 6-0 and 13-7 overall. Army (13-7, 1-5), shooting 39.5 percent in the second half and 64 percent from the line, never got any closer than ten points (80-70), which came late (1:10 left) in the game.

Sophomore Molly McKinnon came off the bench to top four Army players in double figures with a career high 16 points in shooting 8 of 11 from the field. She bettered her previous high of 14 points set last year against Holy Cross. Freshman Katie Macfarlane registered her second straight double-double and career fifth while adding 13 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Therese Kelley scored 13 points and junior Christina Canelli had 12 in her first start this season.

Holy Cross never trailed, jumping out to a 10-4 lead, but couldn’t pull ahead by more than seven points against a pesky Army squad that hung tough, shooting 44.8 percent from the field, and was perfect in all eight free throws in the first half. The Crusaders, who hit five three-pointers in making 15 field goals, pulled out to their first double-digit lead of 12 points (44-32) with 1:28 left to the break after that 8-0 run. Monika Rothemich also scored 19 points for the Crusaders who had all ten players break into the scoring column.