Box Score The 16th-ranked Loyola Wolf Pack women's basketball team suffered their second loss in the last 16 SSAC Championship games Friday
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The No. 16 Loyola Wolf Pack will have to wait until March 11 to find out their fate in the NAIA National Championship tournament, losing to the No. 3 seed Martin Methodist 76-57 Friday in the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship Semifinals.
Bethel, which punched its ticket into the championship game earlier in the day, and the RedHawks both will earn automatic bids to the NAIA Championship tournament from the conference. Loyola will have to wait until the bracket is announced on Wednesday, March 11, to find out if it earned an at-large bid. It would be Loyola's seventh straight trip to the national tournament, too.
Loyola led early thanks to field goals by Paige Franckiewicz, Kamille Cooper, Taylor Thomas and Tay Cannon, grabbing 9-7 lead six minutes into the first quarter. The two teams matched point for point down the stretch, as Kate Petrovic scored five points in less than a minute to help close the quarter tied with the RedHawks 18-18.
Neither team scored in the first two minutes of the second quarter, but Martin Methodist ended up starting with an 8-2 run to extend its lead to 26-20. Franckiewicz scored the next eight Wolf Pack points, making two 3-pointers in the process. Martin Methodist would take a 38-32 lead into the break, though.
Loyola tied the game at 42-42 after Franckiewicz made another 3-point shot, a field goal by Kaila Anthony, and three points from Hansberry to start the third. Martin Methodist, however, finished the final six and a half minutes on a 16-5 run to create separation.
The RedHawks outscored the Pack 20-12 in the final frame on their way to the semifinal win.
SSAC Women's Basketball Championship Schedule
Live Video | Bracket | Live Stats
Wednesday, March 4
Game 1 | #8 Stillman (Ala.) 59, #9 Brewton-Parker (Ga.) 44
Game 2 | #7 Middle Georgia State 73, #10 Florida College 56
Thursday, March 5
Game 3 | #5 William Carey (Miss.) 53, #4 Mobile (Ala.) 52
Game 4 | #1 Bethel (Tenn.) 71, No. 8 Stillman College 49
Game 5 | #2 Loyola (La.) 91, #7 Middle Georgia State 75
Game 6 | 8 p.m. | #3 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) v. #6 Faulkner (Ala.)
Friday, March 6
Game 7 | #1 Bethel 61, #5 William Carey 48
Game 8 | 5 p.m. | #3 Martin Methodist 76, #2 Loyola 57
Saturday, March 7
Championship | 4 p.m. | #3 Martin Methodist v. #1 Bethel
Pack Facts
Kamille Cooper obliterated her career-rebound mark Friday, pulling down a game-high 22.
Kennedy Hansberry also pulled down a career-high in rebounds, notching nine in the contest.
Loyola outrebounded Martin Methodist 51-32.
Paige Franckiewicz drilled four 3-pointers in the game, marking the 12th time this season she's made at least that many.
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.
