Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 1/22/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Katerina Kienle The Loyola women shot just 21 percent in the first half against Fairfield on Sunday.

For what was lacking in the win column over winter break, the women's basketball team certainly made up for with practice, experience and improved team chemistry. The Hounds went just 1-4 over their semester break with the lone victory coming in the last game before classes resumed, although the team made significant strides in becoming a serious contender at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships in March.

"Over the break we definitely grew as a team," head coach Joe Logan said. "We were able to spend a lot of quality time together not only practicing but off the court as well. More importantly, we showed a lot of character bouncing back after that Marist game [a 61-59 loss at Reitz Arena].

"Many teams would have been down and out after those close emotional games, but being able to come back and win showed me the true strength of this group."

The Hounds made it five wins in a row with their 66-49 victory at Columbia in the last game before the holidays. The victory marked Loyola's second road victory of the 2007-08 campaign, but things went downhill from there.

After a 72-48 loss at Towson in the first game over the break, the Greyhounds dropped a three-point decision, 59-56, at Patriot League favorite Bucknell on New Year's Day. They followed that with a home loss to MAAC rival Manhattan, 68-59, and another closely contested defeat at the hands of Marist at Reitz Arena.

However, Logan and his squad turned it around in their last game away from Baltimore with an important 66-59 conference victory at Rider. While Loyola only managed one victory over the stretch, Logan still believes that a lot of good came from the time off.

"Considering that we have eight freshmen or sophomores," Logan said, "I think that this recent stretch will do them a lot of good by providing tough game experience.

"We do everything we can as coaches to teach them and help them become better players through practice and film. This level is completely different than high school basketball though, and while it really helps to have four coaches for 12 players, nothing is the same as true competition on the court."

Coming into this 2007-08 season, the Greyhounds placed high expectations on themselves based on their back-to-back third-place finishes in MAAC conference play, and although the record indicates otherwise, Logan considers his team one of the top teams in the MAAC.

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