The women’s basketball team was defeated by the Carroll College Fighting Saints(Mont.) in Sioux City, Iowa, in an overtime game in the Round of 16 of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Tournament tonight 58-55.
It was the farthest the Wolf Pack had advanced in the tournament since the 2013-14 season, when they went to the quarter finals.
Loyola and Carroll had only been matched up against each other once before, in the 2022 National Tournament, when the Fighting Saints eliminated the Wolf Pack from the tournament in the Round of 32.
The Wolf Pack were led by freshman guard Caitlin Travis in the first half as she started well coming off her 25 point performance in the round of 32, scoring six of Loyola’s first 12 points, finished the first half with eight points, and had 16 for the game.
Graduate senior guard Taylor Thomas was second on the team with 14 points.
Loyola was unable to hold on to their 10 point lead after the first quarter, after a 15-3 Carroll run, but went into halftime with a 28-27 lead thanks to a Thomas 3 pointer to close the half.
The game was close through the second half, with both teams trading baskets and resulting in the game being tied at 43 heading into the 4th quarter.
Carroll opened the 4th quarter with 4 straight points, but a three pointer from junior guard Bria McClure brought the Wolf Pack back within a point to make the game 47-46.
A scoring drought from Carroll and a key 3-point play from Thomas meant the game was tied at 51 with 2:52 left to play, and the score would stay that way and there would be extra basketball between the two teams.
The Wolf Pack would get two baskets from freshman forward Alissa O’Dell and Thomas, but would be unable to score again in the rest of the overtime period as Carroll’s Jamie Pickens, who was named an NAIA Coaches All-American this season, would score all seven of her team’s points in the period to give them the victory.
The defeat means the women will finish the season 26-5.
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