BALTIMORE – Loyola returns to Reitz Arena this weekend, hosting Bucknell on Women in Sports Day Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. The Greyhounds topped Army by a 68-59 final in their last home contest on Jan. 18.
Last Time Out
- Stephanie Karcz nearly recorded a second-consecutive triple-double, finishing with eight points, 11 rebounds and eight steals, but American used a strong fourth quarter to pull away for a 63-44 victory over Loyola on Wednesday afternoon.
- The Greyhounds trailed just 40-39 entering the fourth, but were outscored 23-5 over the final 10 minutes.
- Alexis Gray collected a team-high 11 points while hitting 4 of 9 field goal attempts.
- Karcz recorded 6+ steals for a 12th time in 18 appearances. The active DI leader in steals, she is now tied for 18th in NCAA history with 422 career thefts.
- Indeya Sanders led the Eagles (7-10, 3-4 Patriot League) with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Series History
- Bucknell leads 18-7 in a series which dates back to 1984.
- The Bison have won 13 of 15 meetings since Loyola's arrival in the Patriot League, including each of the last four matchups.
- Bucknell ended Loyola's season in the Patriot League quarterfinals last spring, handing the Greyhounds an 88-63 setback.
- Loyola's last win was a 68-65 road triumph on Jan. 17, 2018. That victory snapped Bucknell's 25-game home winning streak against Patriot League opponents.
Scouting Bucknell
- The Bison (14-4, 7-0 Patriot League) have won seven-consecutive games and 12 of their last 13 contests overall.
- All seven of Bucknell's conference wins have been by double-digit margins, with the Bison defeating Patriot League opponents by an average of 18.9 points per game.
- Sr. F Ellie Mack ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (14.2 ppg) and seventh in rebounding (7.5 rpg), while Jr. G Abby Kapp leads the conference in 3's per game (2.7) and 3-point FG% (41.7, 48-115).
- As a team, Bucknell leads the conference in scoring defense (53.3 ppg), scoring margin (+10.7), FT% (75.7) and fewest turnovers committed per game (12.8).
- Bucknell set a team record with 28 wins last season (28-6), winning its fourth Patriot League championship in the process.
Karcz Named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Midseason Team
- Stephanie Karcz was one of 15 players across Division I selected to the Naismith's prestigious midseason list on Thursday. Of the 15 chosen, 12 come from Power Five teams and 10 are a part of nationally-ranked programs.
- Karcz has led Division I in steals per game for a majority of the season. She is currently averaging 6.2 thefts, with Norfolk State's Chanette Hicks (5.3) the only other player in DI averaging over four steals per contest.
- Karcz is one of two players nationally with multiple triple-doubles on the year, joining Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu. She recorded her second of the year against Army last Saturday, totaling 13 points, 12 rebounds, 12 steals and seven assists in a 68-59 win.
- The 12 thefts were the most by a DI player this season, were tied for Loyola's program record, and were the most ever in a Patriot League game.
- There have only been 18 instances in DI this year where a player has recorded 9+ steals in a game, and Karcz has accounted for four of them.
- This season, Karcz ranks 13th in the Patriot League in scoring (11.7 ppg), third in rebounds per game (9.6) and fourth in assists per game (4.2).
Women in Sports Day
- Loyola is holding its annual Women in Sports Day celebration this afternoon to celebrate the achievements of its female athletes and encourage young girls to get involved in sports.
- Activities in Reitz begin at 12 pm. Admission to all activities and Saturday's game is free.
Success from the Charity Stripe
- Four of Loyola's five primary starters are shooting over 80% from the free throw line this season, with Delaney Connolly (85.7%, 12-14), Alexis Gray (84.2%, 32-38), Hannah Niles (81.3%, 13-16) and Laryn Edwards (80.6%, 29-36) all performing well at the charity stripe.
- Bri Rozzi (18 GP/4 GS) is also shooting 84.4% (27-32) from the line.
- As a team, Loyola ranks fourth in the Patriot League with a 69.2 FT%.
Strong Defensive Numbers
- Loyola leads the Patriot League in both 3-point FG% defense (27.6) and turnovers forced per game (20.0). The Greyhounds are also third in the conference in turnover margin (+2.6).
- Loyola's opponents have shot under 30 percent from 3-point range in five of the past six games. American was limited to 22.2% shooting (4-18) from beyond the arc on Wednesday.
- The Greyhounds forced 25 Army turnovers last weekend, turning those giveaways into 24 points on the other end in a 68-59 victory.
- The 25 giveaways were Loyola's second-highest forced in a game this season, behind only 28 turnovers from Howard back on Nov. 20.
Gray Approaching 3-Point Milestone
- Alexis Gray is currently fourth in team history with 137 career 3-pointers entering Saturday. She is 20 back of program-record holder Nicole Krusen (2011-14) and seven behind Katie Sheahin (2009-13) in third place.
- Gray has totaled 10+ points on 34 occasions in her Loyola career, including six times so far this season. She has supplied 11 points in each of the Greyhounds' last two contests.
- Gray set a single-season team record with 64 made 3-pointers as a sophomore in 2017-18.
Looking Ahead
- Loyola concludes a stretch of eight home games out of 11 on Wednesday, hosting Boston University at 6 p.m.
