Waltham, Mass. - The Holy Family University women's basketball team will be heading back the NCAA Division II East Region semifinals after defeating fifth-seeded Assumption College by the score of 68-62 in the quarterfinals hosted by Bentley University Friday night at the Dana Center.

Holy Family, ranked sixth in the recent USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II National Top-25 Coaches' Poll, improves to 28-2 overall after winning its 16th straight game. Assumption concludes its season at 22-8.

Holy Family, seeded fourth in the regional, will now face top-seeded Bentley in the semifinals Saturday night. The Falcons defeated eighth-seeded LIU Post, 68-57, in their quarterfinal contest.

Senior Erin Mann (West Chester, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) helped fuel the Tigers to a come-from-behind victory as the Tigers trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half. Mann shot 8-of-10 in the half and scored 19 of her game-high 25 points in the final stanza. She also grabbed 11 rebounds to record her 12th double-double of the season. Mann also blocked three shots on the defensive end.

Senior Ana Cruz (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) shot 5-of-6 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, to finish with 18 points as she tied her season-high. Cruz scored 13 of her 18 points in the first half as she knocked down three first half three-pointers. Senior Kelly Brady (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) tallied nine points, while fellow classmate Molly Hanlon (Narberth, Pa./Lower Merion) contributed eight points and a game-high five assists.

For Assumption, senior Katy Howard led the Greyhounds with 17 points after knocking down three three-pointers (3-5). She also finished with a game-high four steals. Fellow classmate Gabrielle Gibson tallied 12 points, while freshman Kelly Conley contributed 11 points off the bench. Senior Sabrina Siciliano finished with ten points and nine rebounds.

Early in the second half, Holy Family trailed by 14 points after Gibson drained a jumper to make the score 41-27 at the 18:56 mark.

However, over the next eight-plus minutes Holy Family would use a 13-2 run to cut the Assumption lead to one possession after Cruz converted a pair of free throws. Her two points made the score 43-40 with 10:39 to play in regulation.

Holy Family cut the lead to one point at the 8:52 mark after a Brady layup made the score 48-47. After a defensive stop, Holy Family came down the court a Mann layup gave the Tigers the lead for the first time since the 11:24 mark of the first half. Mann's layup made the score 49-48.

As the half progressed, Holy Family would lead by as many as six points after Brady split a pair of free throws to make the score 56-50 with 5:54 to play.

Assumption would go on to cut into the Tigers' lead and eventually recapture the lead with 2:33 to play after junior Jamie Insel scored a layup to give the Greyhounds a 60-58 advantage.

The lead would be short lived as Holy Family tied the game on its next possession after junior Mary Ellen McCollum (Abington, Pa./St. Basil Academy) scored a two-point basket to tie the game at 60-60.

After the Tigers took a 62-60 lead, Assumption tied the game with 1:18 to play thanks to a layup by Siciliano. From there, Holy Family went on to score the game's final six points, including the game-winning basket by Mann with 1:05 on the clock. Mann's layup gave the Tigers a 64-62 lead as the team converted 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the final :19 seconds to secure the victory.

The Holy Family defense held Assumption to 0-of-3 shooting from the field in the final minute of action.

The Tigers finished the game shooting 24-of-50 from the field (48.0%) and converted 16-of-17 from the free throw line. Assumption shot 36.4-percent from the field and were 8-of-13 from the free throw line. The Greyhounds forced 22 turnovers and held a slight 36-35 advantage on the boards.

As mention, Holy Family is back in action on Saturday, March 16 as the Tigers face Bentley in the East Region semifinals. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m. The Falcons defeated the Tigers in last year's East Region Final.