Saturday's game does not count towards Wolf Pack's overall record, and they'll remain 6-2 this season
BEAUMONT, Texas – The Loyola Wolf Pack women's basketball team played their final of three exhibition matchups with an NCAA Division I team Saturday, traveling to Beaumont, Texas, to take on Lamar University. The Wolf Pack kept it close late, but the Cardinals were able to hold on to the 57-44 win.
No. 23 Loyola is set to welcome two teams to New Orleans next weekend, hosting a round-robin style schedule with LSU Alexandria and No. 4 Southeastern (Fla.). First, the Pack will play SEU at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10, then they'll match up with LSUA on Sunday at 1 p.m. The two road teams will also play a neutral site game at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and all three contests will be at Tulane's Devlin Fieldhouse.
Tay Cannon and Sandra Cannady gave Loyola an early 6-2 lead with back-and-forth scoring through the first couple minutes of the game. Cannon and Cannady each laid one in to give the Pack a 4-0 start, then Cannon made it 6-2 with another quick score. Lamar, though, scored the next 15 points to go up 17-6, and Cannady broke the run with a score in the final minute of the opening frame to bring the deficit to 17-8 after the first 10 minutes.
The Wolf Pack held the Cardinals scoreless for the first four minutes of the second quarter, but Loyola could only get a free throw by Sydni Tangle and a field goal from Jazmene McMillan during that time to make it a 17-11 Lamar lead. Cannady and Kennedy Hansberry each scored to keep the game within a couple of possessions, but the Cardinals were able to extend their lead to 35-17 by halftime.
Behind free throws by Tera Snell and Cannon and a score from Hansberry, Loyola scored the first six points through the first three minutes of the second half, 35-23. Lamar, however, used a couple of 3-pointers to push its advantage out to 20, 43-23, a couple of minutes later. Three quick points by Hansberry, and Cannady, Cannon and Taylor Thomas all made free throws, as the Pack ended the third quarter down 45-30.
After the two teams traded made shots to start the final quarter, Loyola began to make its run to narrow the deficit to nine with two minutes to go. Cannon scored the next eight points for the Pack before Tangle got on the board, cutting the Lamar lead to 53-42 with 2:18 to play, then Cannon scored 21 seconds later to bring the score to 53-44. The Cardinals were able to hold off Loyola by not allowing another Wolf Pack point.
Pack Facts
The Wolf Pack defense held Lamar to 35.9 percentage shooting, Loyola's best effort in the three NCAA Division I exhibitions (Tulane and LSU).
Loyola averages 9.3 steals per game and it got nine Saturday. Kennedy Hansberry, Tay Cannon, Sandra Cannady and Taylor Thomas all had two each.
Cannon led the Wolf Pack with 16 points and Cannady added 13 to put two in double figures.
Thomas had a team-high eight rebounds, and Cannady (six) Hansberry (five) and Cannon (five) all had at least five boards.
Hansberry also led the team with four assists.
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