Guard Alexis Gray ’20 drained a three-pointer in the final seconds of the second half to propel Loyola against Lehigh in a nail-biting victory of 67-65 on Jan. 24.

The game was close from beginning to end. Both sides traded buckets as momentum swung from each side through each quarter. Lehigh held the lead in the first quarter, but the second quarter turned in the Hounds’ favor. Loyola stormed back to take a 36-32 advantage by halftime.

Loyola’s offense started slowly at the start of the second half. Lehigh capitalized, and went on a run lead by guard Quinci Mann ’18, who ended the game with a game high of 32 points.

After a timeout by Loyola, the Greyhounds tied the game up at 53. Into the fourth quarter, Loyola went on a early run that was cut short. Lehigh eventually led 64-62 with less than a minute on the clock. A layup by Karcz, two missed free throws by Lehigh, and a three-pointer by Gray lifted Loyola past Lehigh in a stunning and exciting victory.

With the game tied and less than a minute left on the clock, missed two free throws that would have put Lehigh ahead by two points. Following those missed shots, Loyola pounced on the opportunity to score.

After a timeout called by head coach Joe Logan, Loyola ran down the clock, and swung the ball around in a fluid movement. Gray was eventually found open, and calmly drilled a three-pointer to win the game.

Gray finished the game with 17 points. Guard Stephanie Karcz ’18, coming off of a historic triple-double in the previous game, chipped in with 16 points, six assists, and six steals. Forward Izzy Therein ’21 also contributed, and scored a career-high 21 points along with eight rebounds.

* Photo courtesy of loyolagreyhounds.com *