MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Top-seeded Loyola University New Orleans (23-3) will play ninth-seeded Mobile (10-19) at 4:30 p.m. CST Thursday in the women's basketball quarterfinals of the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship tournament. The Pack moved up to No. 16 in the latest edition of the NAIA Top 25 as well.
Loyola went 2-0 Mobile this season, winning 96-56 at home on Jan. 8 and 88-44 on Feb. 12 at Mobile.
The Wolf Pack set a school record for consecutive victories with 17. Loyola enters the postseason with 19 victories in its last 20 games.
Loyola's Deniya Thornton, a 5-foot-10 junior guard/forward, was a four-time SSAC Player of the Week this season, including three defensive awards. Teammate Alissa O'Dell, a 6-foot junior forward/center, won the SSAC's offensive award twice.
Odell (16.3), Thornton (15.8), Caitlin Travis (11.1) and SeQuoia Carroll (8.8) lead Loyola in points per game.
Kellie Kennedy earned her 400th victory as Loyola's head coach when the Wolf Pack won 59-50 Jan. 31 at Life.
Loyola leads the NAIA in free-throw attempts (26.8) and free throws made (18.9) per game. The Wolf Pack are second in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.225).
If Loyola wins Thursday, it will play its semifinal at 5 p.m. Friday. The championship game will tip off at 4 p.m. Saturday. Tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to NAIA nationals. The Wolf Pack clinched this past weekend the SSAC's other automatic bid to nationals by winning the regular-season championship.
Loyola reached the 2025 SSAC semifinals and won the tournament in 2024.
WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Tournament Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Game 1 | #10 ABAC def. #7 Thomas, 70-66
Game 2 | #9 Mobile def. #8 Brewton-Parker,
Thursday, Feb. 26
Game 3 | 9:00 a.m. | #3 UT Southern vs. #6 Blue Mountain
Game 4 | 12:30 p.m. | #10 ABAC vs. #2 Faulkner
Game 5 | 4:30 p.m. | #9 Mobile vs. #1 Loyola
Game 6 | 8:00 p.m.| #4 William Carey vs. #5 Life
Friday, Feb. 27
Game 7 | 1:00 p.m. | Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
Game 8 | 5:00 p.m. | Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6
Saturday, Feb. 28
Championship | 4:00 p.m. | Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8
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