Box Score A 17-0 run in the third quarter gave the Wolf Pack the edge in Saturday SSAC contest
NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball team got back in the win column Saturday, taking down Faulkner in a Southern States Athletic Conference contest, 76-48, in The Den. The win moves the Wolf Pack to 15-5 overall and 9-3 in league play, holding their position atop the SSAC standings.
Saturday was the first of three straight home games for Loyola, and it's set to host Blue Mountain in another SSAC matchup on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
Faulkner quickly started the game with a 7-4 lead after three minutes of play, but scores by Kennedy Hansberry and Sandra Cannady made it a 9-8 Eagles' lead a couple of minutes later. Hansberry's bucket came from a Cannady steal at the other end of the floor, and Cannady's made shot was a result of good ball movement by the Wolf Pack. Trailing by one at the halfway point, Sydni Tangle put the Pack up 11-9 with her first 3-pointer of the game, but Faulkner made a couple of 3s down the stretch to help take a 19-17 lead into the second quarter.
Both teams were searching for points to start the second quarter, but Kate Petrovic and Tera Snell made game-tying buckets in the first couple of minutes. With the game tied at 21-all, Hansberry received a pass from Jazmene McMillan for an easy score to give Loyola its first lead since the score was 2-0, 23-21. Petrovic added a 3-pointer a minute later, then a jumper by Hansberry extended the Wolf Pack lead to 29-25 with two-plus minutes until halftime. The two teams traded baskets in the final minutes, as the Pack went into the break up by five, 35-30.
After Faulkner scored the first points of the half, Loyola scored the next 17 points to extend its advantage to 52-33 midway through the third quarter. Liz Critton made a couple of free throws, Tay Cannon converted an old-fashioned 3-point play, Cannady scored twice, and Tangled added two 3-pointers during that stretch before Faulkner called a timeout. Tera Snell made a jumper after the timeout before the Eagles finally ended their drought with points at the free-throw line. Loyola would end up holding a 56-36 lead entering the final quarter.
Kennedy made it a 23-point lead early in the fourth quarter with an and-1 play, and another old-fashioned 3-point play pushed the score to 64-38 miway through the frame. The Eagles tried to make a run, but three points by McMillan and a 3 by Tangle ended the game with the Pack winning by 28, 76-48.
Pack Facts
Sandra Cannady collected her eighth double-double of the season, putting up 14 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three steals and two assists.
Kennedy Hansberry led the Wolf Pack in scoring with 16 points.
Taylor Thomas led the team in two categories, dishing out five assists with four steals.
After Faulkner shot over 40 percent in the first half, Loyola held the Lady Eagles to less than 15 percent for the second half.
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