MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball team will be advancing to its third-straight Southern States Athletic Conference Championship game, as the top-seeded Wolf Pack defeated fourth seed William Carey 59-48 in Friday's semifinal at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.
Loyola awaits the winner of No. 2 seed Faulkner and No. 3 seed Brewton-Parker in the championship game, which is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday in Montgomery, Ala. The Wolf Pack will be looking to secure the program's seventh SSAC title.
The Wolf Pack jumped out to a quick start in the semifinal with buckets by four different players, Taylor Thomas, Liz Critton, Sandra Cannady, and Kennedy Hansberry, to take an 8-0 lead just three minutes into the contest. The Loyola defense held William Carey to just seven points in the opening period, with the Pack holding a 15-7 advantage after the first 10 minutes.
Back-to-back layups by Jazmene McMillan and Tay Cannon stretched Loyola's lead to double digits at 19-7 a few minutes into the second quarter. The Crusaders failed to score in the frame until the 3:54 mark of the second, after which they caught up with an 11-0 scoring run in just two minutes.
A layup by Sydni Tangle and an old-fashioned three-point play from Cannon put Loyola up 24-20 at halftime.
Cannady opened the second half scoring with two free throws, but Carey fought their way back again with seven straight to take a one-point lead. After that, neither team led by more than three points in the quarter, as both teams spent most of their time at the charity stripe. Loyola was 8-for-8 at the line in the third, while Carey was 5-for-7. The Wolf Pack would end the quarter with a narrow advantage at 38-37.
While the previous two quarters were more competitive, the final frame saw the Wolf Pack run away with the game, outscoring the Crusaders 21-11, with Hansberry sinking seven free throws over the last minute to seal the win.
Tournament Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 22 at the Multiplex
Game 1: #8 Life def. #9 Middle Georgia, 68-48
Game 3: #7 Blue Mountain def. #10 Talladega, 55-53
Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Multiplex
Game 5: #4 William Carey def. #5 Mobile, 63-56
Game 7: #1 Loyola def. #8 Life, 58-42
Game 9: #2 Faulkner def. #7 Blue Mountain, 63-55
Game 11: #3 Brewton-Parker def. #6 Stillman, 55-45
Friday, Feb. 24 at the Multiplex
Game 13: #1 Loyola def. #4 William Carey, 59-48
Game 15: #2 Faulkner def. #3 Brewton-Parker, 69-64
Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Multiplex:
Championship: #1 Loyola vs. #2 Faulkner - 4:00 pm
Pack Facts
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Loyola will be in the final of the SSAC Championship tournament for the third-straight season.
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Leading the game in scoring, Tay Cannon finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
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Sandra Cannady and Kennedy Hansberry each scored 11 points, while Cannady had nine boards and three steals, both game highs.
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Loyola players combined to collect 10 steals. That's the team's fifth-straight game with double-digit steals.
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The Wolf Pack have reached 27 wins for the second time during coach Kellie Kennedy's tenure with the team. It's the most victories in a season for the program since the 2014-15 year, when the team went 27-4.
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.
