Loyola steals win at Faulkner Saturday

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – For the second straight game, the Wolf Pack played well in the final minute to overcome a lead and earn a conference win. This time, the Wolf Pack completed a comeback against the Faulkner Eagles on Saturday, taking a victory over the conference rivals, 70-68.
 

Loyola will aim to stretch its win streak to five in a matchup with the Mobile Rams on Thursday, Feb. 13 with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. in The Den.
 

Deniya Thornton scored the first six points of the game for either team, 6-0, and Alexis Babineaux made it an 8-2 lead after a couple of free throws halfway through the opening quarter. Faulkner, however, used a 7-0 run to take its first lead of the game, 9-8, with three minutes left. Caitlin Travis and Joclyen Wyatt both got on the board after that to keep pace with the Eagles, and Wyatt hit a 3 in the final 20 seconds to make it a 15-15 game after 10 minutes of play. 
 

The Eagles pushed ahead 24-15 before Wyatt hit another 3-pointer three-plus minutes into the second quarter. Wyatt sparked the Wolf Pack offense with a triple, then scored another basket to diminish the Faulkner lead, 27-20. Travis made a layup, then Addison Luker drained a trey, just before Travis completed a three-point play to lead the game, 28-27. To end the half, the Eagles hit a triple that put them back in front, 30-28.
 

A 3-pointer from Thornton put the Pack back in the driver's seat, taking a 31-30 lead. The following layup by Faulkner changed the lead once again, putting the home team in front. While the Eagles remained in the lead for the following minutes, the Wolf Pack stayed close behind with help from Alissa O'Dell, scoring in consecutive possessions to cut the Eagle lead to two, 39-37. Thornton hit a game-tying bucket, then Luker hit another triple to put the Pack in front, 43-40. Thornton and O'Dell extended Loyola's advantage, 49-42, but two baskets by the Eagles cut the lead to end the quarter, 49-47.
 

Wyatt scored her third 3-pointer of the contest to start the final frame, 52-47. The Eagles chipped away at Loyola's edge over the following minutes of the quarter, managing a tie with six minutes to go, 54-54. A strong run by the Faulkner put the opponents ahead, 64-56, but scores by Wyatt, MG Lymon, and Travis kept the Pack in play with one minute left, 64-63. Faulkner quickly snapped Loyola's run, 67-63, but a Travis triple got the Pack back within one, 67-66. After a free throw by Faulkner, O'Dell scored to tie the game, then Wyatt knocked down a clutch bucket to give Loyola a lead with one second left, 70-68. In Faulkner's final possession, Loyola held on to steal victory.
 

Pack Facts

• Joclyen Wyatt's game winner was part of a career-high 18-point performance. She went 6-for-11 from the field and 3-for-5 from the three-point line with six rebounds and two steals in just 25 minutes. 

• Deniya Thornton collected her fifth double-double of the season and sixth of her Wolf Pack career with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals. 

• Caitlin Travis also scored 16 points, going 7-of-14 from the field with eight boards and two assists. 

• Alissa O'Dell dealt with foul trouble but still hit double figures in scoring, 10 points to go along with six rebounds in 21 minutes.