Loyola’s run ends in NAIA Women’s Round of 16

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The No. 6 seed Loyola Wolf Pack women’s basketball team saw their season end in the Round of 16 of the NAIA National Championship, losing an overtime contest, 58-55, to second-seeded Carroll (Mont.). The Pack ends the season with a 26-5 overall record.

Starting off strong in Sioux City, the Wolf Pack got on the board first, as Caitlin Travis drove for a layup. Carroll kept it close early, as the Wolf Pack held a 7-6 advantage at the 4-minute mark of the first quarter. To close out the quarter, the Pack went on a 10-0 run, which started with a triple from Deniya Thornton and ended with a three from Sydni Tangle.

Loyola built as big as a 13-point lead in the second quarter at 25-12, thanks to a few baskets from Travis and Taylor Thomas as well as a trey from Cannady. The Fighting Saints wouldn’t trail for much longer, however, as the higher seed rattled off 15 consecutive points. Carroll’s run only ended as time expired, as Thomas knocked down a long three-pointer to give the Pack a 28-27 lead at halftime.

Neither team made any big scoring runs in the third quarter, which featured four ties and six lead changes. Travis poured in nine points in the frame, and Libby Thompson drilled a three with less than a minute remaining to tie things up at 43-43 heading into the fourth.

Carroll played well in the fourth quarter, never trailing in the period and building as much as a five-point lead, 51-46, with a little over five minutes left in regulation. Loyola’s defense was able to hold the Saints scoreless until the buzzer to give them a window to come back. Alissa O’Dell got a bucket in the paint, and Thomas drew an and-one to tie the game 51-51 at the 2:52 mark, with that score holding until the end of regulation.

O’Dell put back a miss to begin overtime, and Thomas gave the Pack a 55-53 lead with 3:08 left. Carroll responded with five straight points, preventing another Loyola score to hang on for the win.

Pack Facts

Loyola finished the season 26-5. It’s the sixth time the team has finished a season with 26 or more wins in the last 10 seasons.

Caitlin Travis led the team in scoring on Thursday with 16 points.

Taylor Thomas ends her five-year Loyola career seventh in program history in career points (1,577), second in assists (521), third in steals (248), and tied for seventh in three-point makes (171).

In four seasons at Loyola, Sandra Cannady leaves as the ninth-highest scorer in program history (1,427). She is also third in program history in rebounds (915) and third in blocks (87).

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