Box Score The Loyola Wolf Pack women's basketball team ended the regular season on a good note Saturday at Stillman
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Loyola Wolf Pack couldn't have asked for a better finish to their regular season, finishing on a 12-game win streak after a 71-50 win over Stillman College Saturday. Loyola will now turn its attention to the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament next week, as the Wolf Pack will play Florida College Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in the first round.
Loyola and Stillman battled closely in the first half Saturday with neither team able to take a lead bigger than six, as the game saw six ties and two lead changes before halftime.
Kennedy Hansberry, Presley Wascom and Taylor Thomas scored first for the Wolf Pack, giving them a 7-4 lead four minutes into the game. Wascom made her second 3-pointer a few minutes later to put Loyola up by five, but the Tigers were able to tie the game less than two minutes later. Kate Petrovic made a 3-pointer to break the tie, but Stillman, once again, tied the game for the fifth time to close out the first quarter, 17-17.
Stillman took its first lead of the game, 23-21, four minutes into the second quarter, then quickly extended the score to its largest lead, 29-23, with 2:11 left in the first half. However, a 3-pointer by Jada Farrell, free throws from Tay Cannon, and a basket in the final seconds by Thomas gave the Wolf Pack a 30-29 lead at the break.
Despite the close first half, Loyola started to pull away in the second half. Chelsea Gray got the scoring started in the third quarter, then another 3 from Wascom gave Loyola a 35-31 advantage less than 90 seconds into the frame. In all, Loyola started the third on a 12-4 run to grab its first double-digit lead, 43-33, with 6:52 left in the quarter.
The two teams traded baskets over the next couple of minutes, but Wascom's fourth 3-pointer put Loyola up 52-39 with less than two minutes until the fourth quarter. The Tigers made it interesting, though, cutting the score to 52-45 entering the final frame.
Wascom's fifth 3 came at the 7:30 mark of the fourth quarter, and it extended the Pack's lead to 59-48, then Sandra Cannady, Gray and Thomas made it a 17-point game, 67-50, with 2:30 left on the clock. Thomas actually finished with the game's final eight points while Stillman didn't score in the final four and a half minutes of the game, bringing the score to its final, 71-50.
Pack Facts
Presley Wascom led all players in points (19) and steals (5). The five steals match her previous career-best, set Jan 18, 2020, against Martin Methodist.
Wascom also knocked down more 3-pointers (5) than Stillman, whose players combined for just four triples.
Including the final eight points of the game, Taylor Thomas scored 17, second on the team. She also contributed seven rebounds, a steal, and a game-high five assists.
Sandra Cannady had just six points but secured 11 rebounds, a game-high. This was her best rebounding performance since the season opener against Dillard, where she grabbed 13 boards.
The Wolf Pack's win streak is now extended to 12 games, including 11-straight in conference play. It's the longest win streak for Loyola since the 14-win streak during the 2014-15 season.
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.
