HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The No. 10 Loyola Wolf Pack women's basketball team maintained their position atop the Southern States Athletic Conference standings on Thursday, defeating William Carey on the road, 76-61. The win moves Loyola to 18-1 overall and 11-1 in league play, and it holds a two-game lead over second-place Faulkner. 
 

Loyola is set to return to The Den this weekend, hosting Mobile for an SSAC contest at 12 p.m. The program will honor the 2021-22 SSAC Champions women's basketball team prior to tip-off, and the game is a part of Loyola Athletics' Wolf Pack Hall of Fame festivities. 
 

Kennedy Hansberry and Taylor Thomas got the Wolf Pack off to a fast start, each making 3-pointers in the first 70 seconds of the game. After two Sandra Cannady free throws, Hansberry scored a 2-point field goal and another 3 to put Loyola ahead 13-4 three-plus minutes into the game. William Carey, however, fought back to cut the score to 15-14 four minutes later. Scores by Tay Cannon and Thomas allowed the Pack to take a 19-17 advantage into the second quarter. 
 

The Crusaders got a 3-pointer to fall in the early going of the second quarter to take their first lead of the game, 20-19, but an old-fashioned 3-point play for Hansberry quickly put Loyola back in front, 22-20. The two teams traded the lead four more times and the score was tied four more before Loyola could take its 36-32 lead into the break. Hansberry scored six more points off two 3s during that stretch, bringing her first-half total to 19, and Jazmene McMillan added four. 
 

Hansberry started the second half with a couple of free throws, then Thomas hit a 3-pointer to make it a 41-32 lead two minutes into the third quarter. Thomas scored another to push the lead to 11, and Tera Snell kept it a double-digit lead, 47-37, a couple of minutes later. The Crusaders closed the quarter on a 9-3 run, though, making it a 50-46 score entering the final frame. 
 

Cannady scored five early points in the fourth to push the lead to 56-49, and from there, Loyola continued to add to its lead. Hansberry and Sydni Tangle hit consecutive 3s, then Tangle added another from long range after two Cannady free throws, 67-51. McMillan kept it a 15-point game, 69-54, and six free throws by Thomas late in the quarter effectively ended the game. 
 

Pack Facts

• Kennedy Hansberry had her best scoring game of the season, pouring in 24 points, making 8-of-13 shots from the field 5-of-7 from deep with four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. 

• Hansberry's five three-pointers were the most in any game of her career. 

• Moving into fourth place in Loyola's record book in career assists, Hansberry is now at 430 career dimes. She needs 10 more to move into third. 

• Judging by shooting percentage, it was the Wolf Pack's overall best three-point shooting game of the season. The team combined to make double-digit three-pointers for just the third time this season, going 10-for-19 (53%) from behind the arc. 

• Taylor Thomas was second in scoring, ending the game with 16 points. She was also 2-of-5 from distance.

• Sandra Cannady was the third double-figure scorer for the Pack on Thursday, putting up 11 points and eight rebounds. Thomas and Cannady each got a game-high three steals.

• The game was the 12th this season in which Loyola players combined for at least 10 steals. 

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.