LAFAYETTE, La. – The Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball team traveled to Lafayette, Louisiana, to take on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on Monday, playing its final exhibition against an NCAA Division I team this season. The Wolf Pack fought hard, but UL ultimately won, 76-47, in the Cajundome. Loyola will return to regular-season conference action later this week, when it travels to Point University (Ga.) and Thomas University (Ga.) on Thursday and Saturday at 4:30 p.m. CST and 11 a.m. CST, respectively.
Louisiana jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but the Wolf Pack got its first 3-pointer to go to give them their first points. In fact, the 3-ball helped Loyola stay in the game, making six of its nine attempts from behind the arc in the first half. Taylor Thomas made the first one, but the Ragin' Cajuns had a 22-5 lead after the first quarter.
Loyola played much better in the second quarter, outscoring UL 19-11 to pull to within nine by halftime. When Thomas hit her second 3 of the game at the 5:34 mark to make it a 28-10 score, Thomas and Lizzy Ratcliff combined for four more 3s to cut the deficit to 33-24 by the break. Ratcliff made three in the final two minutes, including one in the final seconds.
Thomas made it a seven-point game in the first minute of the second half, 33-26, and a 3-pointer by Bria McClure cut it to six, 35-29, a few minutes later. Louisiana, though, quickly pushed its lead back out to 20, 51-31, with a couple of minutes left in the frame. Sandra Cannady, Alissa O'Dell and Caitlin Travis all made shots down the stretch to keep the game within reach, 53-38, heading into the fourth quarter.
UL pulled away even more in the fourth quarter, however, winning that frame 23-9 to close things out.
Pack Facts
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Taylor Thomas led the team in scoring with 11 points, hitting 3-of-4 from distance.
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Lizzy Ratcliff also connected on three triples, finishing with 10 points.
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For the game, Loyola shot 50 percent (7-14) from three-point land.
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Sandra Cannady was close to a double-double with nine points and nine boards.
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