Loyola claims SSAC women’s basketball regular-season title

Thursday’s win means the Wolf Pack women’s basketball team has now won the SSAC Regular-Season title for the second straight year

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – With two Southern States Athletic Conference games left on the schedule, the ninth-ranked Loyola Wolf Pack have already wrapped up their second straight SSAC Regular-Season Championship with Thursday’s win over Stillman College.

Loyola took down the Tigers 65-53 to improve its record to 22-1 overall and 15-1 in league play, and it’ll next take on Blue Mountain Christian on Saturday at 12 p.m.

It’s the 11th total conference championship for a Kellie Kennedy-led Wolf Pack, as the program has racked up seven tournament titles and now four regular-season championships in her 15 seasons at Loyola.

The two teams played a close first quarter until the Wolf Pack created a little separation in the second quarter. Stillman jumped up 6-2 in the early portion of the opening frame, but four points from Kennedy Hansberry and a score by Liz Critton gave Loyola a 10-9 lead with less than four minutes to go in the quarter. The two teams would enter the second quarter tied, 11-11.

Sandra Cannady scored twice in the first few minutes to give the Pack a 17-14 lead, then a 3-pointer by Taylor Thomas pushed the advantage to 20-14. Cannady scored the next six points before Sydni Tangle got on the board, 28-14, with less than four minutes until halftime. Critton and Cannady would help bring the lead to 33-19 by halftime.

After a dominant second quarter for the Wolf Pack, Stillman and Loyola played a more even third quarter. The Pack answered Stillman scoring the quarter’s first four points with four points of their own, then two Hansberry free throws in the middle of the period kept it a 10-point lead, 43-33. A combined three made shots by Cannady and Thomas pushed the lead out to 14, 47-35, with three minutes left, and a last-second score by Tangle brought the score to 53-41 entering the fourth.

Loyola was able to hold off the Tigers thanks to six points from Thomas and one score each by Tay Cannon, Cannady and Hansberry in the final 10 minutes.

Pack Facts
• In addition to this being Loyola’s second-straight SSAC Regular Season Championship, it’s also the third season in a row in which the Wolf Pack owned the best regular season record in the conference.
• Loyola is now 13-1 in the all-time series with Stillman dating back to 2018.
• Sandra Cannady ended the game with game highs in points (20) and rebounds (13). Her five steals also matched a career high.
• Cannady, who posted her 14th double-double of the season and the 25th of her Wolf Pack career, now has four 20-point 10-rebound double-doubles this season.
• Kennedy Hansberry earned the majority of her 13 points at the stripe, going 9-of-10 on free throw attempts on Thursday. Hansberry also grabbed five rebounds.
• Taylor Thomas was third on the team with 11 points.
• Tera Snell led the team with two blocks and is now up to 79 for her career. Snell has recorded at least two blocks in three of the last five games for the Pack.

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