Box Score Freshman Tay Cannon sets a career mark in scoring with 22 points, but the Pack were unable to best a ranked team on the road
MCKENZIE, Tenn. – Playing in their first road game since early December, the Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball team traveled to take on seventeenth-ranked Bethel, but were unable to pull off the upset, falling 78-68 Thursday night in Crisp Arena.
The Southern States Athletic Conference's (SSAC) Game of the Week began with an eight-point run by the home team before Presley Wascom got the Wolf Pack (11-5, 5-2 SSAC) on the board with a three. After the Wildcats (13-3, 5-1 SSAC) took a 10-3 lead Loyola chipped away with six straight points from Tay Cannon before Wascom scored to make it a 12-11 game.
The Pack would enter the second quarter trailing by one but the home team began to build a lead. Trailing by as much as eight midway through the period, Loyola cut into their deficit and set the score at 22-20 moments later. However, it would be the Wildcats who had the final run of the half and take a seven-point advantage into the break, up 34-27.
The two teams would trade buckets to begin the third period, before Bethel eventually climbed out in front by 10, 48-38 after five minutes of play. A three by Megan Worry got the Pack offense back on track, before Cannon, Kamille Cooper and Wascom got Loyola within one. The Wolf Pack took their first lead of the game with a minute and a half left on the clock in the third, but would eventually trail by one headed into the fourth 52-51.
While Cannon would strike first to give Loyola the lead yet again, the home team would edge the Pack out in the final 10 minutes of play, eventually handing the Pack their first loss since December 1.
Loyola will remain on the road through the weekend and travel to Mississippi where they'll face Blue Mountain College on Saturday, January 12 at 2 p.m.
Pack Facts
This was the Pack's first loss to Bethel since 2017, after winning three straight including a 17-point win in last year's SSAC Tournament.
Tay Cannon scored a career-high 22 points while recording a career-best six steals.
The freshman's six steals are the most by any member of the Wolf Pack this season.
This was the eighth game Megan Worry has reached double-digits in scoring, with the senior currently averaging a career-high 10.3 points per contest.
Blocking one shot tonight, Worry has swatted at least one in 13 of the Pack's 16 games this year.
You can keep up with the Pack this season by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.
