Box Score Wolf Pack welcomes William Carey to First NBC Court for a game on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
The No. 20 Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball team capped off its Tennessee road trip on Monday afternoon when the team traveled to Pulaski to battle (RV) Martin Methodist inside the Curry Christian Life Center.
Entering Monday's contest both teams found themselves near the top of the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) standings with both teams trailing league-leader Bethel University by a combined two games. Despite the home team leading by two points to start the fourth, Loyola used five scorers in double figures to battle all the way back over the final nine minutes to take the 85-77 road victory in a huge conference showdown. With the win, the Wolf Pack (14-4 overall, 6-2 SSAC) now trail Bethel by a single game, while Martin Methodist (12-6 overall, 7-2 SSAC) sits a half-game back of the Wildcats and just a half-game up on Loyola following Monday's loss.
The first quarter saw the Redhawks erase a five-point deficit over the final 1:30 to knot the game at 16-16 after the first 10 minutes of action. Both teams shot identically from the field with both squads converting on 7-of-21 shots in the opening frame.
The game was knotted at 32 apiece at the 2:30 mark in the second before an 8-0 spurt by Loyola gave the visiting team the 40-32 advantage with under a minute to play. With her team up five with 12 seconds remaining, Zoie Miller (JR/Frisco, Texas) converted on an and-one to give the Wolf Pack the slim 43-35 advantage at the half. Martin Methodist was its own worst enemy in the second quarter – committing eight fouls, which led to 10 Wolf Pack points.
Despite both teams shooting 7-of-14 from the field in the third, the Redhawks connected on three triples (compared to zero by the Wolf Pack) and six free throws (compared to one by Loyola) to outscore the visitors 23-15 in the quarter and bring the game to a stalemate at 58 all entering the fourth.
Martin Methodist grabbed the 60-58 advantage to start the final quarter but that lead proved to be short-lived as Loyola spent the next seven minutes building a 15-point (77-62) cushion with less than three minutes remaining. The Redhawks managed to trim the deficit to single digits but never got it any closer than eight points. When the final buzzer sounded in Pulaski, the Wolf Pack was on top 85-77 on Monday afternoon.
Loyola shot 28-of-58 (48%) from the field and 4-of-16 (25%) from three. The Wolf Pack made the home team pay for its 21 fouls by knocking down 25-of-31 (81%) shots from the charity stripe.
Miller's 22 points off the bench led five Wolf Pack scorers in double figures. Kylah Jones (SR/Houston, Texas) added 21 points from the lead guard position and Meghan Temple (SR/Houston, Texas) notched her fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 boards. Di'Mond Jackson (JR/Baton Rouge, La.) and Kaila Anthony (FR/Pflugerville, Texas) both chipped in ten points in the win.
Martin Methodist's Jemia Carpenter put up an impressive 29 points and nine rebounds to pace the Redhawks on Monday.
Loyola returns home on Thursday, Jan. 19, to welcome William Carey to First NBC Court for a game set to start a 5:30 p.m.
