Box Score Loyola nearly erases a 17-point deficit in the fourth but falls 54-57 on the road.
The No. 20 Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball team made the long trek to McKenzie, Tennessee on Saturday afternoon for a showdown with archrival No. 21 Bethel University inside the Crisp Gymnasium.
Saturday proved to be another classic in this Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) rivalry with both teams vying for position at the top of the league standings. Despite trailing by 17 points in the fourth, the Wolf Pack used the final seven minutes of the game to battle all the way back and cut the deficit to just a single point with seven seconds to play. Loyola was forced to foul twice on the next two Bethel possessions, which sent 63% free throw shooter Brandi Goodman to the line with a chance to extend the home team's advantage to three points. Goodman sank both free throws to add to her career-high 25 points and move the score to 57-54 in favor of the home team. A full court heave by Kaila Anthony (FR/Pflugerville, Texas) as time expired was off the mark and the visiting Wolf Pack fell 54-57 on Saturday to drop to 13-4 on the year and 5-2 in the SSAC.
Kylah Jones (SR/Houston, Texas) and Paige Franckiewicz (FR/Slidell, La.) shouldered the scoring load in the first quarter with both sharpshooters recording seven points apiece to account for all of Loyola's 14 points in the first ten minutes. Entering the second quarter, the visitors held the slim 14-10 advantage over the Wildcats.
Bethel stormed back in the second to tie the game twice before scoring the final five points of the quarter to grab the 30-25 lead entering the locker rooms.
The home team maintained its cushion for the entirety of the third quarter and the scoreboard showed Bethel on top 44-35 heading into the final frame.
The fourth saw the Wildcats' advantage balloon to 17 (35-52) with just over seven minutes to play. The Wolf Pack used the next 7:08 to whittle the deficit to just one (54-55) before Goodman's two from the line sealed the game for Bethel in this marquee conference matchup.
Loyola shot 19-of-57 (33%) from the floor and 6-of-20 (30%) from beyond the arc against the Wildcats. Both teams tallied 14 turnovers on Saturday and Bethel held the commanding 43-28 rebounding advantage in the victory.
Franckiewicz paced the Wolf Pack with 14 points while Meghan Temple (SR/Houston, Texas) chipped in 12 points, five boards and game-high three blocks in 31 minutes. Megan Worry (SO/Houston, Texas) added six points and six boards to lead a Wolf Pack bench unit that was outscored 34-15 in the loss.
Goodman's career high led all players while Alexis Hardaway poured in 13 points, 10 boards and five assists for Bethel.
Loyola's Tennessee swing continues on Monday, Jan. 16, as the Wolf Pack squares off against (RV) Martin Methodist at 2:30 p.m
