Wolf Pack women stay put at No. 9 in latest NAIA rankings

NAIA released its fourth in-season Coaches’ Top 25 Poll on Wednesday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Loyola University New Orleans women’s basketball team is a perfect 14-0 overall and 7-0 in Southern States Athletic Conference play, and as one of four remaining undefeated teams, the Wolf Pack remains the No. 9 ranked team in the NAIA for the second straight Coaches’ Top 25.

It’s the highest ranking for the program since the team was ranked No. 7 on March 11, 2015.

Loyola went 5-0 since the last poll was released in December, although Monday’s win over Xavier did not count toward Wednesday’s rankings. The Pack will continue their homestand this week with home games against Blue Mountain Christian University at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and against Stillman College at 12 p.m. on Saturday.

No other SSAC team is ranked in the Top 25 but Faulkner, a team Loyola beat last week, is also receiving votes.

Sandra Cannady, who has produced 11 double-doubles in the Wolf Pack’s 14 games, leads the team in both scoring (16.6) and rebounds (10.5), while Taylor Thomas (13.5), Jazmene McMillan (12.4) and Kennedy Hansberry (11.4) are all scoring in double figures as well. Hansberry records a team-high 3.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game, and Thomas contributes with 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game as well. Cannady has also been named SSAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week three times this season, including receiving that honor on Monday after two double-doubles in two wins last week.

As a team, Loyola ranks third in the NAIA for points per game (86.5), second in rebound margin per game (15), third in assists per game (18.4), fourth in total rebounds per game (47.4), fifth in field goal percentage (46.8 percent) and field goals made per game (31.6), seventh in offensive rebounds per game (17.2), and eighth in free throw made per game (17) and opponents’ field goal percentage (33.5 percent). The Wolf Pack has also scored 80 or more points in 10 of the 14 games this season, winning all of their games by an average of 30.8 points.

You can keep up with the Pack by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.