Loyola claims win No. 20 on Senior Day

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola Wolf Pack women's basketball team sent their six seniors out on a good note by defeating UT Southern, 81-52, in The Den on Saturday. 
 

Loyola improved to 20-3 overall and 14-2 in Southern States Athletic Conference play with the win on Senior Day, and it'll hit the road next week for its final two regular-season games. First, No. 16 Loyola will take on Mobile (23-4, 15-3 in SSAC) on Tuesday before William Carey (19-3, 13-3) on Saturday in two crucial conference matchups. 
 

Sandra Cannady, Taylor Thomas, Sydni Tangle, Morgan Hervey, Jada Farrell and Lizzy Ratcliff were all honored on Senior Day after the game. 
 

A couple of freshmen got the Wolf Pack going early in the first quarter. Alissa O'Dell scored six early points and Deniya Thornton added four to help build an 11-4 lead through the first four minutes of the game. The Firehawks trimmed the score down to 12-10, but a couple of free throws by Taylor Thomas stopped UT Southern for the moment. The visitors would go on to tie it, 14-14, by the end of the opening frame. 
 

Both teams struggled to find the bottom of the net in the second quarter, but UT Southern was able to take a 20-17 lead with four minutes left until halftime. A Caitlin Travis 3-pointer was Loyola's only made basket by that point, but MG Lymon scored her first points after that to make it a 20-19 UTS lead. Two more Thomas free throws and a fastbreak score by Lymon kept it a one-point deficit, 24-23, by halftime. 
 

Scores by Lizzy Ratcliff, Sandra Cannady, Deniya Thornton and Thomas helped flip the lead a couple of times during the first few minutes of the third quarter. Ratcliff got things started, followed by two free throws from Thornton. Cannady hit a big 3-pointer and Thomas made it a 33-31 lead for the Wolf Pack, then Ratcliff scored again, 35-33, to break a 33-all tie. That score sparked a 10-0 run for the Loyola, as four points each by Ratcliff and Cannady helped extend the lead to 45-35 late in the frame. 
 

Leading 48-39 to start the fourth, Cannady started the final 10 minutes with two free throws and Thomas nailed a 3-pointer, 53-39. Then, Jada Farrell converted an and-1 opportunity and Travis had a steal and score to continue the hot start for the Wolf Pack. Loyola actually scored the first 17 points of the quarter, highlighted by four more points from Cannady and a 3-pointer from Thomas, 65-39. Thomas and Travis both hit 3s to really put the game away, 73-43, as Loyola ran away from the Firehawks. 
 

Pack Facts

• With the win, Loyola improved to 20-3 on the season, marking the 11th consecutive season of at least 20 wins for the Wolf Pack. 

• After only having four points at halftime, Taylor Thomas caught fire in the second half, hitting three triples to lead all scorers with 21 points, plus seven assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. 

• Sandra Cannady didn't score in the first half, but she went off in the second, pouring in 16 points plus 12 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season. She's now at over 1,300 points for her career with 1,301. 

• Loyola's seniors combined to score 53 points, out-scoring Tennessee Southern by themselves. Lizzy Ratcliff finished with nine points, eight of which came in the third quarter. Morgan Hervey had four in the fourth quarter, and Jada Farrell scored three. 

• The Wolf Pack outscored the Firehawks 58-28 in the second half.