NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball took a break from its regular season schedule to play an exhibition against the University of New Orleans on Wednesday. While the Wolf Pack hung tough, the Privateers earned the 81-64 win at Lakefront Arena.
Next up for Loyola is a home exhibition game against Tulane at 2 p.m. on Saturday in The Den. VIP tickets are available for the first matchup with the Green Wave on Loyola's campus since 1972: https://loyolawolfpack.com/sports/2022/7/29/purchase-tickets.aspx
Caitlin Travis scored Loyola's first points from beyond the 3-point line, then the sophomore added another score to tie it early, 5-5. A couple of strong rebounds by Deniya Thornton limited UNO's possessions, and Thornton was on the receiving end from a nice pass by Kate Thompson to tie it again, 7-7, at the halfway point of the quarter. Alissa O'Dell grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to stay within one, 12-11, and Thornton laid one in, 12-11, right after UNO answered O'Dell's score.
Loyola took the lead with two and a half minutes left in the opening quarter when MG Lymon took a steal by Alexis Babineaux down the court for a score, 13-12. Libby Thompson drilled two 3s down the stretch, and Lymon converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to give the Wolf Pack a 22-16 lead after 10 minutes of play.
UNO began the second quarter on a 10-0 to jump back ahead, 26-22, less than three minutes into the start of the frame. O'Dell scored the first three points for the Wolf Pack, but that wasn't enough to keep up the pace with the Privateers, 30-25. Jocelyn Wyatt added a 3-pointer in the final minute, but the hosts took a 38-30 lead into the break.
Four points by Thornton and two from Travis in the early portion of the third quarter helped keep Loyola within single digits, 44-36, as UNO held a 48-39 advantage at the midway point of the frame. After the Privateers went up by 11, Travis drained a 3-pointer to cut it back to eight, 50-42, with two minutes left in the quarter, and Libby Thompson hit her third 3 of the game to cut into the lead even more, 52-47. UNO would eventually make the score 57-50 heading to the fourth.
Kate Thompson made a couple of field goals in the paint to start the quarter, however, three 3s and an old-fashioned 3-point play extended UNO's lead to 69-54 with eight minutes to play. In the end, the Privateers proved to be too much for the Wolf Pack.
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