Box Score The 23rd-ranked Loyola Wolf Pack continued their winning streak Friday against Dillard
NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball team is one of the hottest teams in the NAIA right now, extending its winning streak to 10 games after a 92-61 win over Dillard Friday.
The Wolf Pack is now 15-1 overall after the non-conference win, and they'll return to Southern States Athletic Conference action Tuesday when William Carey travels to The Den for a 5:30 p.m. contest. Loyola is currently sitting in first place of the SSAC West Division with a 9-1 record.
It was all Loyola from the start, as the Wolf Pack quickly built a huge lead on the Bleu Devils. Sandra Cannady and Presley Wascom put their passing on display, sending bounce passes into a crowded lane to find Taylor Thomas and Chelsea Gray early, then Kennedy Hansberry converted an old-fashioned 3-play to give Loyola a 16-6 lead.
Wascom hit her second 3-pointer of the game, pushing the score to 19-6, capping off a 15-0 run for the Wolf Pack. The senior hit another 3 moments later, and Loyola had complete control of the game with the 29-8 lead after the first quarter.
Thomas started the second quarter with four quick points, extending Loyola's lead to 37-8. In all, the Wolf Pack went on a 20-2 run before Dillard could string consecutive baskets together. Jada Farrell made Loyola's fourth 3-pointer of the game in the final minutes of the half, as it went into the break with a commanding 50-21 lead.
Loyola shot 54.5 percent (18-for-33) from the field in the first half while holding Dillard to just 10 made field goals.
Dillard did win the third quarter 23-16, but the Wolf Pack still led 66-44 entering the final quarter. Cannady scored all eight of her points in the third quarter to help Loyola keep a 20-plus-point lead.
Loyola pushed the lead back to 30 points less than four minutes into the fourth quarter, as Jazmene McMillan scored the quarter's first seven points. Buckets by McMillan, Farrell and Gray, as well as a couple of free throws from Hansberry, gave Loyola a 77-47 advantage with 6:48 left. Thomas, Tay Cannon and Morgan Hervey all scored in the final minutes to close out the blowout win.
Wolf Pack Head Coach Kellie Kennedy
"I just thought it was a really good team win. Any time you have five scorers in double figures and you manage to put up 92 points, that's a pretty good night. Not only did we shoot the ball well, we got good shots and we shared the ball, too. We did have a little spurt in the third quarter where we weren't doing what we needed to do defensively or taking care of the ball on offense, but I thought we just played well together throughout the game. We're playing smarter and we're playing pretty well at the right time. I feel like we've just figured some things out, so hopefully, we'll continue to keep progressing moving forward."
Pack Facts
After posting a new career-high Tuesday at Mobile, Chelsea Gray earned another career-best in points with 17 Friday against Dillard.
Gray also tied Sandra Cannady for a game-high in rebounds with seven.
Five other Wolf Pack players scored in double figures: Presley Wascom had 11, while Kennedy Hansberry, Taylor Thomas, and Jazmene McMillan each put up 13 points.
Loyola shot a blistering 57 percent from the floor, making 33 of 58 baskets, including 15-of-25 (60 percent) in the second half. The shooting percentage is the highest since Jan. 4, 2020, when the team shot 59 percent in a 92-50 win against Middle Georgia.
Of Loyola's 33 made shots, 24 were assisted. That's the highest total for assists since Nov. 21 against Southeastern Baptist, when the Pack 31 dimes.
Three different Loyola players dished out four assists: Thomas, Wascom, and Cannady. Thomas also had a game-high four steals.
Now with a 15-1 overall record, the Wolf Pack have matched their best start to a season since the 2011-12 campaign.
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.
