On Nov. 6 at Reitz Arena, Loyola’s women’s basketball team lost its home opener to La Salle University by a score of 71-59. The Greyhounds got off to a slow start and spent much of the game trying to climb back. The team showed flashes of resilience but ultimately fell short when the game was concluded.
La Salle got off to a fast start, taking a double-digit lead in the first few minutes and keeping control for most of the game. Loyola forward and graduate student Lex Therien led the team with 22 points and also grabbed the most rebounds on the team with nine. La Salle guard Aryss Macktoon led her team with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Both teams shot about the same percentage from the field, with Loyola going 24 for 54 and La Salle 26 for 52, but La Salle outrebounded the Greyhounds 32 to 23. Many of those rebounds turned into easy fast break points. Loyola also had 24 fouls compared to La Salle’s 13, which made it hard for the Greyhounds to gain momentum and close the gap.
Loyola Head Coach Danielle O’Banion reflected on the game and the team’s outlook for the season, emphasizing chemistry within the team and the ability to lean on everyone. Loyola fought to stay competitive against La Salle but struggled to find consistency offensively. O’Banion acknowledged these challenges but noted measurable improvement from the team’s season opener against Maryland.
“We scored more than 27 points, which is more than our first game, which is a positive,” O’Banion said.
Although mentioning some improvement, O’Banion also pointed out some key areas that she said will be crucial for their success as the season unfolds, particularly rebounding.
“Rebounding will be a big point of emphasis because we have two of the best rebounders in the league. We have some great rebounding guards … just continuing to impact our opponents’ defensive rebounding percentage,” O’Banion said.
Team chemistry has been a bright spot for Loyola, as O’Banion mentioned a growing cohesion within the team. O’Banion said that connection within the team is already translating into effort and energy.
“They’re gelling great off the court, we’re coming together on the court, they really enjoy each other, they play hard for each other, and we just keep going,” O’Banion said.
Guard Christina Garcia ‘26, one of Loyola’s key contributors, reiterated her coach’s optimism but acknowledged that the team did not perform to its potential against La Salle.
“I mean, it was a tough loss. We definitely started a bit weak, but overall we just know we could’ve done better and that we were not playing Loyola basketball. But we still have a lot of the season to go,” Garcia said.
Looking ahead, Garcia said that the team’s focus will be on smarter shot selection and calling on everyone to make a difference.
“Well, definitely taking better shots … we want to play more as a team. We don’t need to only rely on one or two people. We can all contribute, so we’ll work on that,” Garcia said.
Despite the early setback, both O’Banion and Garcia remain confident in the team’s potential. The Greyhounds will look to regroup quickly as they prepare for their upcoming matchups, determined to prove that Loyola women’s basketball is just getting started.
Women’s basketball’s next two home games are on Thursday, Nov. 20, against Mount St Mary’s at 7 p.m. and on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 1 p.m. against Delaware. The team’s Patriot League conference play starts up on New Year’s Eve against American at Reitz Arena.
Check out the women’s basketball schedule here as they continue their season all the way until March.