Final Stats

Sophomore Stephanie Karcz led all players with 23 points and junior Ashley Hunter turned in her first collegiate double-double, finishing with 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds, but the Loyola University Maryland women's basketball team fell at Lafayette, 65-54, Sunday afternoon at the Kirby Sports Center.

Karcz also added five steals and seven rebounds for Loyola (3-14 overall, 1-5 Patriot League), while the Leopards (7-9, 3-3) were led by Natalie Kucowski's 18 points and nine rebounds.

Lafayette opened the game with the first seven points, forcing Loyola to burn a timeout. Freshmen Izzy Therien and Delaney Connolly combined for the next four points for the Greyhounds and then Karcz and Hunter added baskets after the Leopards' jumper to bring the Greyhounds within one, at 9-8. Lafayette responded with another 7-0 run to stretch its lead to eight though, at 16-8.

Karcz closed out the first-quarter scoring by converting an and-1 opportunity and Hunter's layup to start the second pulled Loyola within three, 16-13, at the 9:08 mark of the second quarter.

Although the Leopards wouldn't let Loyola any closer than that at that moment, the Greyhounds answered Lafayette's five-straight points with an 11-2 run that saw them take their first lead of the game, 24-23, on Hunter's layup.

A pair of Leopard free throws switched the advantage back to Lafayette, before Karcz's layup regained the lead for Loyola, 26-25. Taylor's layup to close out the half gave Loyola a three-point cushion at halftime, 28-25.

Lafayette took little time evening the score at 28 out of the break, but Karcz's 5-2 personal run kept Loyola ahead three, at 33-30. The Leopards then rattled off nine-straight points though, giving the home team a six-point advantage, at 39-33.

Karcz's layup halted the run, but Lafayette finished the quarter with four more points to move ahead 43-35.

Lafayette's run didn't stop in the fourth quarter, as the Leopards outscored the Greyhounds 13-1 in the first four minutes to earn a 59-38 advantage. Loyola closed out the game on a 16-4 run, but it wouldn't be enough, as Lafayette won 65-54.

Loyola will remain on the road for a second-straight game as it travels to Bucknell Wednesday for a 6 p.m. tipoff.