Box Score The Loyola Wolf Pack women's basketball team improved to 18-5 overall and 12-3 in the Southern States Athletic Conference after defeating Stillman College on Thursday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The 2021-22 regular season is coming to an end this week, and the Loyola Wolf Pack women's basketball team started their last road trip on Thursday at Stillman College, defeating the Tigers 65-49 at Birthright Auditorium. The win moves Loyola, which has already clinched the Southern States Athletic Conference regular-season title, to 18-5 overall and 12-3 in league play, and it'll take on Blue Mountain College for the season finale on Saturday at noon.
The Pack started Thursday's contest with a solid first quarter, scoring 20 points while holding the Tigers to just eight. In fact, Loyola didn't allow Stillman to score in double figures in either of the first two quarters, holding it to 7-of-26 shooting for the first 20 minutes, which helped the Pack take a 35-17 lead by halftime.
Play started with back-to-back scores by Sandra Cannady and Kennedy Hansberry before Taylor Thomas made it an 8-2 Loyola lead in the first two minutes of the game. Tera Snell scored to make it a 10-2 lead, then Thomas scored four straight to put the Pack up 14-6 more than halfway through the first quarter. A 3-pointer by Sydni Tangle extended the advantage, and Cannady added one more made shot before the end of the frame to take a 12-point lead after 10 minutes.
Cannady and Hansberry scored quickly for the Wolf Pack to start the second quarter, making it a 24-8 score, but the Tigers trimmed Loyola's lead to single digits, 26-17, at the halfway point of the quarter. Snell ended Stillman's run with consecutive baskets, and Kate Petrovic, Cannady and Snell helped Loyola end the first half on a 9-0 run.
A 3-pointer by Thomas, free throws by Snell and Jazmene McMillan and a score by Cannady in the first five minutes of the third quarter gave Loyola its largest lead of the game, 44-21, but the Tigers made a run late to cut the score to 16 by the end of the third quarter. The Tigers kept it up in the fourth quarter, too, making it an 11-point deficit, 48-37, with more than seven minutes left in the game. Tay Cannon pushed the lead back out to 17 at the six-minute mark, but again, the Tigers were able to get the score down to 12, 54-42, with five minutes to play. Hansberry scored eight points down the stretch, though, preventing a Stillman comeback and locking down the win.
Pack Facts
Thursday's win secured 12 conference wins for the Wolf Pack, and it's the 11th time in head coach Kellie Kennedy's 14 years the Wolf Pack has achieved that feat.
For the third straight game, Kennedy totaled at least three steals, and she now has 11 steals in the last three games.
Taylor Thomas also had three steals against Stillman, and it's also the ninth game this season with at least that many.
Sandra Cannady led the Wolf Pack with 16 points and eight rebounds, almost collecting her 10th double-double this season. Thomas and Hansberry also scored in double figures with 14 and 12 each.
Cannady also had her third multi-block game of the season, notching two for the straight outing.
Cannady and Thomas each led the team with eight rebounds apiece.
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
