Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Kevin Smith Tynisha Davis hit a key layup late to break a 44-44 tie with Villanova.

Ashley Alexander was one of five Hounds in double figures against Drexel in the season opener.

By Pete Theis
Staff Writer


The Loyola women's basketball team began their campaign with two victories at Reitz Arena last weekend, including a 72-62 victory over Drexel in the opener and an ugly 49-47 win over Villanova on Sunday.

Going into the Villanova game, the Hounds knew they would have to grind it out to defeat their opponents from the Big East. Loyola won the meeting last year at Villanova, but they required a whole team effort to escape Pennsylvania with a 61-54 victory.

Sunday's game had a similar result, and it wasn't pretty. The women relied on their tough rebounding and teamwork in order to eek this one out. The game came down to the wire, and it seemed neither team wanted to leave Reitz Arena with a loss this early in the season.

"This game was a credit to our seniors as T [Tynisha Davis] and Woody really stepped up for us," head coach Joe Logan said. "We were able to get some key rebounds at the end of the game and improve our defensive pressure."

The story of the first half was the ice-cold shooting display by both squads. Defense ruled the day early, and the Hounds edged out to a 7-5 lead after junior Ashley Alexander earned a steal and then knocked down a three-point shot. Villanova then went ahead by as many as eight points before junior Siobhan Prior hit a foul-line jump shot to break the drought. Senior Meghan Wood cut Villanova's lead to six with a layup with 1:39 remaining in the half.

In the second frame Loyola used the slight momentum they built at the end of the first half when sophomore Kaitlin Grant converted a three-point play followed by a deep three-point shot from sophomore Erica DiClemente to cut the deficit four points.

Later in the half, senior Tynisha Davis evened the score after an amazing wrap-around layup with no time left on the shot clock. Davis again stepped up when she drove to the basket and hit a right-handed layup high off the glass to help Loyola to a two-point lead.

Villanova's Laura Kurz hit two foul shots to even the score again at 44. But Davis would again step forward as she hit the go-ahead basket to give Loyola a lead they would not give up.

"Before I made the shot, I noticed that the Villanova player on me didn't look like she would be able to guard me," Davis said. "So I made a drive toward the basket and made sure to get the ball up higher because before I hit the front of the rim."

Loyola finished off the game by connecting on 3-of-4 foul shots to earn the victory.

"Harry Perretta is an incredible coach, and Villanova is an incredible team," head coach Joe Logan said. "They run so many different sets that are very hard to defend. We had to make a lot of adjustments at halftime to slow them down."

DiClemente led Loyola in scoring with 10 points and four rebounds. Senior Vika Sholokhova led the team with eight rebounds.

In Friday's season opener at Reitz Arena, the Greyhounds came back from as many as 12 down to defeat Drexel, 72-62.

Loyola's big advantage was their rebounding, where the Hounds managed to out-rebound the Dragons 48-32.

"Our focus in the second half was on rebounding, just pure heart and hustle," Wood said. "It was just a matter of not letting the other team get the ball."

Sholokhova led all players with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while the rest of the Loyola starters all scored in double figures.

The Dragons scored a quick layup right off the opening tip only to be answered by DiClemente, who scored Loyola's first basket of the season.

Both teams traded baskets for the majority of the first half, but Drexel went on a tear at the end, scoring 9 of the last 14 points to take a 10-point advantage, capped by a score right before intermission.

Loyola only managed to shoot 31.8 percent from the field, whereas the Dragons were red-hot hitting 50 percent.

"We didn't do a good job against the zone and attacking the basket in the first half," head coach Joe Logan said. "Drexel got some easy baskets at the foul line and we struggled with trying to defend them. We did a much better job with our effort in rebounding. Vika, Woody, and T [Tynisha Davis] really gave us great energy in the second half."

The Greyhounds began their valiant comeback when a DiClemente steal produced a layup that cut Drexel's lead to three at 39-36, spurring a 10-2 scoring run. During that run, the Greyhounds saw their leader Wood come alive when she recorded a conventional three-point play off of an amazing pass from freshman Candice Walker.

Drexel would not go away easily as Narissa Suber connected on a long three-pointer that found nothing but nylon and built the Dragon's lead back up to six.

Loyola fought back when junior Ashley Alexander nailed a 12-foot jump shot followed by two foul shots from junior Siobhan Prior and a steal that led to a layup from senior Tynisha Davis.

Loyola took its first lead of the second half with 7:35 remaining when Grant put in both foul shots to go ahead 47-46. Another great pass from Walker to Grant put Loyola ahead 50-46 after a foul shot from Walker, but the Dragons did not die easily when they responded right back on a three pointer from Jasmina Rosseel.

Both squads exchanged the lead four times when Sholokhova put in a basket to give the Hounds a 54-53 lead that they would hang onto for the rest of the contest. Sholokohova scored again when Walker found her open off of a pick-and-roll play before finding the net. Loyola would hang on for the victory after going 12-12 from the foul line. Walker, recorded five assists to complement her 11 points and no turnovers in her first collegiate basketball game.

"I wasn't nervous before this game because we had already had the exhibition game and I had four turnovers in that game," Walker said. "So going into tonight's game I just kept telling myself that I did not want to have any turnovers. It didn't matter how many points I had, because I knew that as long as I handled the ball well my teammates would fill in."

The Greyhounds look to continue their winning ways as they travel to the famed Palestra in Philadelphia for a 7 p.m. matchup against LaSalle on Wednesday.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools