On Monday, Dec. 12, Loyola Women’s Basketball team lost to the Maryland Terrapins, the No. 4 team in the country, 79-60. Maryland has defeated Loyola the last 17 times the teams have met while also leading the all-time series with a record of 22-3. With this win, the Terps secure a perfect 10-0 record entering the Big Ten conference schedule..
Loyola struggled to find rhythm and quality shots during the first half. Loyola started out extremely quick, but eventually fell into Maryland’s tough defense. The first two points of the game were scored by Loyola Junior Bri Betz-White (#11) with an assist from classmate Carly Monzo (#33). When Loyola was able to execute, they successfully made quick passes offensively, but they could not make many shots. Maryland’s strong defense was especially fortified by Brionna Jones (#42) and Destiny Slocum (#5).
A 34% shooting percentage, compared to Maryland’s 60%, allowed the Terps to take a commanding 46-21 lead by halftime.
The top scorers from Maryland included: Jones (25), S Walker-Kimbrough (17), and Slocum (9) who also had five assists, the team’s highest number of assists.
Recovery for Loyola was swift in the second half. Loyola came back from halftime with quick shots mostly made by Betz-White and senior Lauren Daugherty, who finished with 17 and 16 points respectively. Daugherty’s 16 points was a career high for her. Loyola’s Monzo played her part with 10 points and 4 assists; most noteatbly a shot with 2.28 left in the third, hitting a three that put the Greyhounds at a competitive score.
Loyola outscored Maryland 24-18 in the 3rd quarter.
The 4th quarter was mostly a wrap-up for Maryland, as they did not let Loyola chip away at the lead. Each team finished with 15 points in the final quarter.
With the final score of 60-79, Loyola Women’s Basketball proved to be a team with heart and passion. Down in the first half, they came back strong and showed Maryland that they were still in the game.
Loyola returns to play after the Academic finals have concluded. They travel to the nation’s capital to play at George Washington on Dec. 23rd. They return to Baltimore to open Patriot League play on Dec. 30th against American University.
