Box Score Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball downed Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) opponent Martin Methodist College 80-71 tonight in The Den for their 14th consecutive victory of the 2014-15 season.
FRI, 01/09/2015
(New Orleans, La.) Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball downed Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) opponent Martin Methodist College 80-71 tonight in The Den for their 14th consecutive victory of the 2014-15 season. The Pack remains one of three teams in NAIA Division I with a perfect record.
The Redhawks jumped out to a 6-0 lead to begin the game, but the Wolf Pack quickly responded with five straight points of their own. Martin Methodist continued to press the offense, scoring the next seven points, which brought the score to 13-5 with 13:39 remaining in the half. Back-to-back three-pointers by redshirt sophomore Briana Oglesby brought the Pack within two (17-15) with 9:28 to go in the first, and a jumper by junior Shayne Charles tied the game at 17 with eight minutes remaining. Loyola took their first lead of the night (19-18) at 7:33 with another field goal by Charles and extended the lead to a first-half high six points at 5:26 off a three-pointer by sophomore Caroline Gonzalez. The Wolf Pack finished the half with a 39-35 advantage following a three-point field goal by senior Janeicia Neely at the buzzer.
Martin Methodist (12-2, 2-3 SSAC) scored the first four points of the second half, tying the game at 39 two minutes into the half. The second half was full of constant back-and-forth action, resulting in six ties and eight lead changes. The Pack began to pull away with six minutes remaining in the game, going up by as much as 13 (76-63) with two minutes to go with a driving layup by Rebekah Greer.
Neely and fellow senior Megan Whittaker drove the scoring effort for the Pack, tallying 17 points apiece. Whittaker drained five three-pointers for the second game in a row, shooting 63% from beyond the arc. She also notched five steals in the win, while Neely finished the night with six assists. Charles aided the offense with 12 points on 50% shooting and also grabbed four rebounds. Gonzalez led the way defensively with six boards and also hit three three-point field goals to help the offensive effort. The Pack collectively shot 46% from beyond the arc.
Abby Clayton led the Redhawks offense with 14 points, while Kelsey Nowlin went 6-of-9 from the field and finished the night with 12 points. Kyoko Wade guided the defense, grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Pack (14-0, 6-0 SSAC) will return to action on January 15, as they travel to Mckenzie, Tennessee to take on conference rival No. 8 Bethel University.
