NEW ORLEANS, La. – It was a tale of two halves for UPIKE women’s basketball on Saturday when the Bears lost to Loyola – New Orleans, 70-61 to end the Mid-South/Southern States Crossover Challenge.
The Bears held the Wolf Pack to just 22.6 percent shooting in the first half on 31 shots. The problem was that UPIKE wasn’t doing much better at 37.9 percent. Regardless, UPIKE entered halftime with a six-point lead at 28-22.
Loyola matched UPIKE almost bucket for bucket in the first quarter. Neither team held more than a five-point lead in the opening quarter, but back-to-back buckets from Mary Englert kept UPIKE ahead. Pikeville outscored Loyola 10-2 off turnovers in the first quarter.
Both teams struggled on offense in the second quarter, especially Loyola who after the first 20 minutes were 0-11 from long distance. UPIKE hit two three-pointers in the quarter – one from Theodora Odia and another from Kayla Mullins – to help stay ahead.
The Wolf Pack found its stride in the second half though and rode it to victory. The bug that plagued Loyola in the first half from long distance got transferred to Pikeville in the third quarter. UPIKE shot 0-7 from beyond the arc, but thanks to five points from Emily Baker, the Bears found enough offense to keep the game tied going into the fourth.
Loyola started the final quarter on a 15-2 run to put the game out of reach almost at a stunning rate. The Bears started the fourth quarter on an 0-10 shooting slump.
The Bears responded with a 14-4 run to cut the lead down to four in the final minute, but Loyola converted five of six free throws to finish off the game.
Latham’s heroics preserve
women’s basketball’s perfect record
NEW ORLEANS, La. – UPIKE women’s basketball trailed with less than 90 seconds to go, but thanks to a some clutch free-throw shooting – mostly from Elisabeth Latham – the Bears were able to steal the lead and preserve its perfect record on Friday, defeating Mobile (Ala.) 62-58.
Latham hit her only bucket of the game to tie the game with just over a minute left to tie the game, hit a pair of free throws to take the lead, then Sierra Feltner split her pair of free throws to give UPIKE a three-point lead.
Latham then added to her clutch-time outing by blocking a potential game-tying three-pointer and got her own rebound to ice the game. All six of Latham’s points in the game came in that stretch and she added eight rebounds.
UPIKE led most of the game on the shoulders of its stout defense. The Bears limited Mobile to just 28.1 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent from long distance.
Pikeville got out to a big early lead on that defense, holding the Rams to just seven points. But although Mobile didn’t have its strongest shooting day, when it did score, it scored in bunches.
That sentiment may not have been more evident by Kelsey Pinera and Jordyn York going on a 10-0 run by themselves to tie the game. York and Pinera provided a majority of the offense for Mobile with 36 combined points. The Bears would lead by three by halftime.
The lead would change hands twice in the third, but a final minute 6-0 run by the Bears would put UPIKE ahead by four going into the final period.
Despite Latham’s heroics, Pikeville was led by Kayla Mullins and Emily Baker with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
UP NEXT
UPIKE will return from Louisiana but will continue its string of road games with a trip north on Tuesday against Rio Grande in Rio Grande, Ohio. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
At New Orleans
(MSC/SSAC Challenge)
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
UP (6-1)…..16 12 18 15 – 61
LU (1-3)…..14 8 24 24 – 70
Scoring:
UPIKE (61) – Kayla Mullins 2(1) 3-5 10; Theodora Odia 3(1) 1-2 10; Alexis Reed 1(1) 2-2 7; Emily Baker 3 1-4 7; Brianna Burbridge 3 5-7 11; Mary Englert 1(1) 2-2 7; Yurleis Estrada 2 1-2 5; Sierra Feltner 0 2-2 2; and Zaria Hollier 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16(4) 17-26 61.
Loyola University (70) – Megan Worry 2(3) 4-6 17; Kaila Anthony 4 6-8 14; Kamille Cooper 2 6-6 10; Presley Wascom 1(1) 4-4 9; Paige Franckiewicz 0(2) 2-2 8; Kennedy Hansberry 1 2-2 4; An’Jolique Woodson 2 0-1 4; Tay Cannon 1 0-0 2; and Breyah Richardson 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14(6) 24-29 70.
At New Orleans
(MSC/SSAC Challenge)
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
UM (1-2)….7 21 15 15 – 58
UP (6-0)….15 16 16 15 – 62
Scoring:
Mobile (58) – Jordyn York 3(2) 7-9 19; Artasia McDowell 3 2-6 8; Kendra Langham 1 0-0 2; Kelsey Pinera 3(2) 5-8 17; Lauren Bodino 1 3-5 5; Janae Strode 2 1-2 5; and Jazmine Atkins 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14(4) 18-30 58.
UPIKE (62) – Kayla Mullins 2(1) 6-7 13; Emily Baker 6 0-6 12; Elisabeth Latham 1 4-6 6; Theodora Odia 1 0-0 2; Alexis Reed 1 0-0 2; Jillian Duncan 1(1) 0-0 8; Mary Englert 2 2-3 6; Mia Greatrex 2 1-4 5; Hailey Free 0(1) 0-0 3; Sierra Feltner 0 3-4 3; and Zaria Hollier 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17(4) 16-30 62.
(Source: UPIKE Sports Information Office)