# 1979–80 Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team

The 1979–80 Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represented the College of the Holy Cross during the 1979–80 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Crusaders, led by head coach George Blaney, played their home games at the Hart Center and were members of the East Coast Athletic Conference – North. They finished the season 19–11, 4–0 in ECAC-South play to finish in third place. They defeated Vermont, Maine, and Boston University to win the ECAC North tournament and earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As No. 11 seed in the East region, they lost to Iona in the opening round, 84–78.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season ||||||
| Dec 2, 1979* | | Catholic | W 57–48 | 1–0 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Dec 4, 1979* | | at Saint Peter's | L 62–73 | 1–1 | Yanitelli Center Jersey City, New Jersey |
| Dec 8, 1979* | | at Yale | W 97–87 | 2–1 | Payne Whitney Gymnasium New Haven, Connecticut |
| Dec 15, 1979* | | No. 3 Ohio State | L 63–79 | 2–2 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Dec 18, 1979* | | Harvard | L 80–81 | 2–3 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Dec 22, 1979* | | Canisius | W 89–79 | 3–3 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Dec 28, 1979* | | Assumption Worcester County Classic | W 122–84 | 4–3 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Dec 29, 1979* | | Hofstra Worcester County Classic | W 97–84 | 5–3 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Jan 5, 1980* | | St. Francis Brooklyn | W 79–53 | 6–3 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Jan 9, 1980* | | at Florida Southern | L 81–83 | 6–4 | George W. Jenkins Field House Lakeland, Florida |
| Jan 12, 1980* | | at Providence | W 59–57 | 7–4 | Providence Civic Center Providence, Rhode Island |
| Jan 14, 1980* | | at Duquesne | L 88–103 | 7–5 | Civic Arena Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Jan 16, 1980* | | at Vermont | W 76–71 | 8–5 | Patrick Gym Burlington, Vermont |
| Jan 19, 1980* | | vs. Rhode Island | W 76–73 | 9–5 | Boston Garden Boston, Massachusetts |
| Jan 22, 1980* | | vs. Fairfield | W 59–57 | 10–5 | New Haven Coliseum New Haven, Connecticut |
| Jan 26, 1980* | | Iona | L 67–82 | 10–6 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Jan 29, 1980* | | Dartmouth | W 101–69 | 11–6 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Feb 1, 1980* | | vs. Massachusetts Colonial Classic | W 84–73 | 12–6 | Boston Garden Boston, Massachusetts |
| Feb 2, 1980* | | vs. Boston College Colonial Classic | L 83–92 | 12–7 | Boston Garden Boston, Massachusetts |
| Feb 4, 1980* | | at Manhattan | W 75–56 | 13–7 | Draddy Gymnasium Bronx, New York |
| Feb 7, 1980* | | New Hampshire | W 97–86 | 14–7 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Feb 9, 1980* | | at Boston College | W 72–69 | 15–7 | Roberts Center Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts |
| Feb 16, 1980* | | at Seton Hall | L 75–77 | 15–8 | Walsh Gymnasium South Orange, New Jersey |
| Feb 20, 1980* | | Connecticut | L 70–88 | 15–9 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Feb 21, 1980* | | Fordham | W 83–72 | 16–9 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Feb 23, 1980* | | at Georgetown | L 78–105 | 16–10 | McDonough Gymnasium Washington, D.C. |
| ECAC North tournament ||||||
| Feb 26, 1980* | | Vermont Quarterfinals | W 90–74 | 17–10 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Feb 28, 1980* | | at Maine Semifinals | W 73–67 | 18–10 | Alfond Arena Orono, Maine |
| Mar 1, 1980* | | Boston University Championship game | W 81–75 | 19–10 | Hart Recreation Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
| NCAA tournament ||||||
| Mar 7, 1980* | (11 E) | vs. (6 E) No. 19 Iona First round | L 78–84 | 19–11 | Providence Civic Center Providence, Rhode Island |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East. All times are in Eastern Time.. ||||||