Box Score The Wolf Pack's four-game win streak comes to an end Thursday, but Loyola is still in a good position to get the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament next week
MCKENZIE, Tenn. – The No. 16 Loyola Wolf Pack stayed even with the Bethel Wildcats through three quarters, but the home squad used a strong finish to defeat the Pack 78-69 Thursday. Loyola is now 19-6 overall and sitting in second place in the Southern States Athletic Conference standings with a 12-4 mark.
Despite the loss, Loyola can lock up the No. 2 seed in the SSAC Tournament with a win in Saturday's season finale. With one game left in the regular season, the Wolf Pack will travel to Blue Mountain College Saturday at noon. The SSAC Tournament is set to begin next Wednesday, but Loyola won't play until Thursday.
Neither team could create much separation in the opening quarter, as Loyola's largest lead in the first quarter came at 11-7 while Bethel only had a 1-0 lead in the opening minute. After Kennedy Hansberry made two free throws to take a 2-1 lead, the Wolf Pack held the advantage through the rest of the quarter. Six different Loyola plays scored in the frame, too, and the Pack went into the second quarter with a slim 15-14 lead.
Bethel quickly retook the lead in the first 20 seconds, but a 3-pointer by Paige Franckiewicz put Loyola up again. The Wildcats scored five quick points to make it a 24-20 Bethel lead, then pushed the score to 32-25 four minutes later. Taylor Thomas, Hansberry and Franckiewicz accounted for the Wolf Pack's final nine points in the last two minutes, as they used a 9-3 run to cut the score down to 35-34 at the break.
Hansberry started that stretch with two free throws and a 2-point field goal, then Thomas scored with 47 seconds left and Franckiewicz capped the half off with a 3-pointer in the final 20 seconds.
It didn't take long for Loyola to regain the lead, as Kaila Anthony drilled a 3-point shot in the first 30 seconds of the second half. She added another 3 a minute later to make it a 40-35 game. Kate Petrovic scored Loyola's third straight 3 without a miss, and a Thomas bucket allowed the Pack to start the quarter on an 11-3 run to jump up 45-38.
Hansberry, again, sunk two free throws to make it a 10-point Loyola lead, but the Wildcats scored 11 straight points to swap the score in their favor, 50-49. The two would exchange made shots in the final 20 seconds, and Bethel took a 53-52 lead into the final 10 minutes.
Bethel outscored Loyola 25-17 in the fourth quarter, but Loyola made a push late. Trailing 70-60 with a minute to go, Anthony scored five points to trim the score to 73-67. The Wildcats, however, made all four free throws after that to hold on for the win.
Pack Facts
Kennedy Hansberry scored 15 points Thursday, which is the second-most points she's scored this season. She reached 15 points twice and her season- and career-high is 19.
Breyah Richardson matched her season-high with four steals, and she's accomplished that three times this year. She now has 13 steals in the last four games.
Kamille Cooper led the Pack with seven boards, as she pulled down nearly 30 percent of the team's rebounds. That's six straight games with at least seven rebounds.
Kaila Anthony recorded only one assist in the game, but it moved her into the Top 10 in Loyola history with 292 career assists. She's now 10th all-time.
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