Box Score The Wolf Pack fought back in the second half to put themselves in position to win or send the game to overtime
NEW ORLEANS – The No. 12 Loyola Wolf Pack suffered a home loss Saturday, falling to Mobile 58-55 in The Den. The loss moves the Wolf Pack to 15-5 overall and 8-3 in conference play.
Kaila Anthony paced the Wolf Pack offense early by either scoring or assisting the first 12 points for the team. The senior scored the first 10 points, then assisted a Kamille Cooper layup with three minutes left in the opening quarter. The Rams, however, used hot shooting from the 3-point line to stay in the game, leading Loyola 9-8 after going 3-for-4 from 3 to start the game.
Loyola retook the lead with another Cooper basket, then Presley Wascom created a turnover by diving for a loose ball. She was fouled on her shot attempt and made both free throws to put the Wolf Pack up 16-13. Loyola finished the first with an 18-15 advantage.
The two went back and forth in the second quarter, exchanging the lead three times in the first five minutes. The Rams finished the first half on a 12-2 run to take a 31-23 lead into the break.
The Wolf Pack trailed by as much as nine points two and a half minutes into the third quarter, but they used a 9-2 run to cut Mobile's lead to 39-37 four minutes later. When the Rams pushed the lead out to 42-37, a shot by Tay Cannon and four quick points by Anthony gave Loyola its first lead since halfway through the second, 43-42.
Mobile hit two free throws with 1 second left in the third to regain the lead, 44-43, to end the frame.
Mobile began the fourth on a 7-0 run to extend the score to 51-43, but Loyola matched the Rams with a 10-3 run to make it a 54-53 Mobile lead with more than two minutes to play. Kennedy Hansberry converted a layup with a minute to go to keep it a 1-point ballgame, but after Mobile got two free throws with 14 seconds left, Loyola missed three 3-point attempts to tie it in the final seconds.
The Wolf Pack won't play against until Saturday, Feb. 15, which is Loyola's homecoming game. Instead of a normal noon Saturday tip, Loyola will host William Carey at 5 p.m.
Pack Facts
Kaila Anthony's 21 points were the most the senior has scored since she set her career-high of 34 points on Dec. 17. It was her fourth game this season with at least 20 points, too.
Kate Petrovic scored 10 points Saturday for her third game this season in double figures.
Kamille Cooper was the third Wolf Pack player to score in double digits, recording her second straight game with 10 points.
Kennedy Hansberry had her third straight game with at least five assists, tallying five Saturday. She now has 19 assists in the last three games.
Presley Wascom led the Pack with four steals, totaling seven in the last two games.
You can keep up with the Pack by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.
