Women’s basketball claims 18th win

NEW ORLEANS – The 14th-ranked Loyola Wolf Pack stayed in first place in the Southern States Athletic Conference standings with a road win on Saturday, defeating Life University, 94-82. Loyola (18-3, 12-2 in SSAC) will return to The Den for two home games next week, first hosting Blue Mountain Christian on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. 
 

Loyola and Life battled to an early 6-6 tie through the first couple of minutes, as Sandra Cannady collected four of Loyola's first six points. Alissa O'Dell scored four quick points and Lizzy Ratcliff hit a 3-pointer, extending Loyola's advantage to 13-6, then Taylor Thomas and Cannady both scored to give Loyola a 13-0 run to take a 17-6 lead halfway through the opening quarter. Cannady had 10 points by the end of the quarter, as the Wolf Pack led 23-14 after 10 minutes of play. 
 

The Running Eagles scored the first six points of the second quarter to trim their deficit to three, 23-20. Thomas scored the next seven points for Loyola, including a 3, and Libby Thompson hit another one from long-range to give Loyola a 33-25 advantage. Caitlin Travis and Deniya Thornton both scored their first points, and Cannady continue to add to her scoring total, as Loyola went into the break with a 46-34 lead. 
 

The Wolf Pack blew the game open in the third quarter by outscoring the hosts 26-18 in the frame. Cannady had another big quarter with 11 points to bring her total to 29 points in the game. The Woodlands, Texas, native reached 30 points in the fourth quarter, as the Loyola led 75-56 with more than eight minutes to go in the game. Thomas got to 20 points a couple of minutes later, 81-58, as the outcome of the game was never in doubt. 
 

Pack Facts

• The Wolf Pack poured in 94 points against Life, marking a new season high for the team in the 2023-24 season. 

• Saturday's 32-point performance was the best scoring game of Sandra Cannady's collegiate career. Cannady shot 14-of-19 from the field, 1-of-1 from three-point range, and 3-of-3 at the free throw line while also grabbing nine rebounds. 

• Cannady's rebounding total with the Wolf Pack is now up to 813, moving her up into sixth in Loyola's record book in career rebounds. 

• Taylor Thomas also had a stellar stat line, putting up 20 points, plus a game-high seven assists and five steals. 

• Thomas moved up in three different places in the Wolf Pack record book on Saturday. She's now eighth in scoring with 1,419 points for her career, tied for fifth in steals with 232, and she passed Kennedy Hansberry for second in career assists, now with 484 dimes at Loyola. 

• Loyola's 16 steals against Life were the second-most of the season so far, and the most takeaways against an SSAC opponent. Five different Wolf Pack players had at least two steals: with Alissa O'Dell, Deniya Thornton, and Lizzy Ratcliff joining Thomas and Cannady.  

• All four freshmen (O'Dell, Thornton, Caitlin Travis, Libby Thompson) scored at least six points. Thompson hit a pair of three-pointers, her fifth game of the season with at least two triples.