Looking to win its fifth-straight game, the No. 13 Loyola University New Orleans Women's Basketball team welcomed RV Southern University at New Orleans to The Den on Tuesday afternoon. Backed by a career-high 18 points by So. G Zoie Miller (Frisco, Texas/Lone Star High School), the Wolf Pack downed the Lady Knights 81-62 to sweep the season series in this crosstown rivalry.
After starting the season at 1-2, Loyola has won five-straight games to improve to 6-2 on the year. 2014-15 GCAC Champion SUNO drops to 0-5 overall following the loss.
With the score tied 2-2 early in the first quarter, the Wolf Pack went on an 8-0 run, capped off by a triple from Jr. F Caroline Gonzalez (Colleyville, Texas, Colleyville Heritage) , to take the 10-2 advantage with 5:38 left to play. A free throw by Miller with 43 seconds remaining ended the scoring in the first quarter with the home team up 20-10.
The Lady Knights started the second with a layup, before a triple by Fr. GMegan Worry (Houston, Texas/Lumberton) followed by a jumper fromMiller put the Wolf Pack up 25-12 with 7:57 to go before halftime. SUNO cut the lead to single digits at 5:11, but Loyola put together a 6-0 run to extend the advantage to 35-20 with just under four minutes remaining. The first half ended with a layup from Jr. F Meghan Temple (Houston, Texas/Klein) to give the Wolf Pack the 37-25 lead after the first 20 minutes of action.
The visitors came out in the second half firing, cutting the Loyola lead to just five, 39-34, with 6:12 to play in the third. The home team quickly responded with five-straight points to bring the lead back to double digits at 44-34. SUNO hung close for the remainder of the third and with Loyola leading 52-45 with 39 seconds remaining, R-SO G Di'Mond Jackson(Baton Rouge, La./University Arkansas Little Rock) sank two free throws to end the quarter with the Wolf Pack leading 54-45.
Up 65-52, Loyola orchestrated a 12-2 run to take its biggest lead of the game, 78-56, with just over two minutes to play in regulation. The Wolf Pack kept the Lady Knights at a safe distance for the rest of the fourth, earning the 81-62 victory at home.
Loyola shot 29-of-58 (50%) from the floor and 7-of-15 (47%) from beyond the arc. The Wolf Pack dominated the boards, grabbing 41 rebounds compared to just 32 by SUNO in the victory.
The Wolf Pack featured four players in double figures, led by Miller's career-high 18 points. Sr. G Briana Oglesby (Baton Rouge, La./University Laboratory School) also chipped in 18 on Tuesday, while Temple added 12 and Worry contributed 11. Miller and Templeeach had four assists and Sr. F Adrianne Sloboh (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal High School) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds off the bench.
Loyola returns to The Den on Saturday, Dec. 5, to take on Dillard University at 2:00 p.m.
