Top-seeded Loyola to play in SSAC Championship title game

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The top-seeded Loyola Wolf Pack women's basketball team will play in another Southern States Athletic Conference Championship title, making their fourth straight trip after an 81-66 semifinal win over No. 4 seed Faulkner on Friday. Loyola will meet No. 3 Mobile on Saturday for a 4 p.m. tip. 
 

Faulkner started the game by taking a 5-2 lead through the first two minutes, but Taylor Thomas and Deniya Thornton helped put the Wolf Pack on top, 6-5. Faulkner pulled back ahead after that, then Thomas and Caitlin Travis both hit 3-pointers to flip the lead again, 12-9. Sandra Cannady scored twice to close out the first quarter with Loyola leading by four, 19-15. 
 

Thornton started the second quarter with a quick score, and Morgan Hervey gave Loyola its largest lead, 23-15, 90 seconds into the frame. Sydni Tangle hit a 3 after MG Lymon's first points to make the lead 10, 28-18, and Hervey's second made shot pushed the advantage to 12, 30-18. The Eagles closed out the first half on an 11-4 run to bring their deficit to 34-29 at the break. 
 

Loyola scored the first 12 points of the second half thanks to Alissa O'Dell, Travis, Thornton and Thomas, 46-29. That run ate up nearly half of the third quarter as well. After Faulkner scored four quick points, Travis, Thornton and O'Dell kept the hot shooting going with one made shot each, 52-35. The Wolf Pack would outscore the Eagles 21-11 in the frame to hold all of the momentum, 55-40, heading to the fourth quarter. 
 

Loyola scored the first five points of the fourth, too, taking a 20-point lead, 60-40, as Thornton converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to highlight that stretch. Lizzy Ratcliff answered a Faulkner 3 with one of her own on the next possession, but the Eagles hit four 3-pointers quickly to cut into the score a little, 63-52, with 6:43 left in the game. Two technical free throws and a score on the same trip down the floor by Thomas, however, squashed the Eagles' run, 67-52. From there, Loyola cruised to the semifinal victory. 
 

Pack Facts

• Loyola will be playing in the SSAC title game for the fourth consecutive season. The team is seeking its seventh tournament championship under coach Kellie Kennedy. 

• Taylor Thomas led the Wolf Pack with 20 points, hitting two three-pointers while adding six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. 

• This is the second time Thomas has scored 20 points in an SSAC semifinal. She's also had at least 20 in six different games this year. 

• Deniya Thornton put up her most points in a game since the opening month of the season, finishing with 14. 

• Caitlin Travis scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive game with 13 points on 5-of-7 from the field. 

• All three freshmen in the starting line up scored at least 13, with Alissa O'Dell also having 13 points in the semifinal.

• Sandra Cannady didn't score in double figures, but she did have 10 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks for the game, all of which were team highs. 

• Cannady is now up to 84 blocks in her Loyola career, which is the third-most in program history. 

2024 SSAC Women's Basketball Championship Schedule

Wednesday, February 28
Game 1, 9:00 a.m. | #7 Brewton-Parker def. #10 UT Southern, 68-57
Game 2, 12:30 p.m. | #8 Stillman def. #9 Blue Mountain, 63-56
 

Thursday, February 29
Game 3, 9:00 a.m. | #3 Mobile def. #6 Point, 81-65
Game 4, 12:30 p.m. | #7 Brewton-Parker def. #2 William Carey, 56-45
Game 5, 4:30 p.m. | #1 Loyola def. #8 Stillman, 67-57
Game 6, 8:00 p.m. | #4 Faulkner def. #5 Life, 80-71
 

Friday, March 1
Game 7, 1:00 p.m. | #3 Mobile def. #7 Brewton-Parker, 79-75
Game 8, 5:00 p.m. | #1 Loyola def. #4 Faulkner, 81-66
 

Saturday, March 2
Championship Game, 4:00 p.m. | #3 Mobile vs. #1 Loyola