by NEW ORLEANS – The No. 14-ranked Loyola Wolf Pack women’s basketball team is now 4-0 on the young season after Wednesday’s 82-63 victory over crosstown rival Dillard. The Pack will now hit the road for Life University, as the two Southern States Athletic Conference teams are set to play an 11 a.m. CST contest in Marietta, Georgia, on Saturday.
Loyola got off to a fast 5-0 start through the first one minute and 20 seconds thanks to a field goal and a free throw by Sandra Cannady, followed by a score from Taylor Thomas. Cannady and Kennedy Hansberry both scored after that to keep up the good start for the Wolf Pack, 9-2. Dillard cut the score to one possession twice, 9-6 and 15-13, but back-to-back made shots by Thomas and an own goal by Dillard gave the Wolf Pack a 17-13 lead with two minutes left in the first quarter. Sydni Tangle (MBCI) ended the first quarter with a 3-pointer to bring the score to 22-13.
Tay Cannon helped the Wolf Pack start the second quarter on a quick 6-1 run, pushing the advantage to 26-14 three minutes into the frame. Cannady made a couple of shots to keep the lead in double figures, then free throws by Cannady and Hansberry made it a 14-point lead, 37-23. Jada Farrell extend it to 40-23 with a 3 in the final 90 seconds of the half, and a Cannon layup sent the two teams to the locker room with a 42-26 score.
Loyola held Dillard to just 13 points in each of the first two quarters.
Thomas and Tangle each scored three points in the first half of the quarter to keep Loyola ahead by at least 16. First, Thomas made three free throws, 46-30, then Tangle made another 3-pointer, 49-32, four minutes into the frame. Hansberry, Cannon and Tangle combined to make five free throws after that to extend the score to 54-35, and Hansberry had four more free throws later in the quarter to bring the score to 62-37. Thomas helped maintain the 25-point lead with a jumper in the final 30 seconds, 64-39.
