BALTIMORE – Loyola hosts its final home game of the regular season, taking on Navy at Reitz Arena at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Greyhounds will be looking to complete their first season sweep of the Mids since joining the Patriot League in 2013-14.
Last Time Out
- Laryn Edwards contributed 18 points and a career-high nine rebounds, but a low-scoring third quarter was too much to overcome for Loyola in a 76-65 defeat to Lafayette on Senior Day over the weekend.
- Edwards' 18 points were one shy of her career-best, as she hit all four of her 3-point attempts in 37 minutes of game action.
- Hannah Niles added a season-high 14 points and seven rebounds in the defeat while finishing a perfect 10 for 10 from the free throw line. She was recognized along with fellow seniors Alexis Gray, Stephanie Karcz and Molly Taylor in a pregame ceremony.
- The Leopards (13-12, 9-6 Patriot League) outscored the home side 16-8 in the third quarter, and led by as many as 16 points early in the fourth.
- Karcz missed her first game of the season due to injury.
- Alexis Santarelli and Natalie Kucowski scored 21 points each for Lafayette, which forced 17 Loyola turnovers while committing four of its own.
Series History
- Navy leads 21-11 in a series which dates back to 1978.
- Loyola has won three-straight meetings, taking the opener this year by a 50-44 final in Annapolis on Feb. 1. Alexis Gray led all scorers with 17 points (3-5 3FG), while
- Stephanie Karcz added six points, 14 rebounds, five assists and four steals.
- The teams have met in three of the last four conference tournaments, including a 58-45 Loyola win in last year's first round. Navy won 63-55 in the 2018 quarterfinals, while Loyola topped the Mids 44-42 in the 2016 quarters.
- Karcz set a Loyola and Patriot League record with 22 rebounds in last year's playoff meeting.
Scouting Navy
- The Mids (7-19, 2-13) have lost 16 of their last 18 games overall, with the lone wins in that span coming against Boston U (46-41) on Jan. 22 and Army West Point (57-45) on Jan. 25.
- Navy, which has been held under 60 points in all but one of those contests, ranks last in the conference in scoring offense (52.7 ppg).
- The Mids are also last in the Patriot League in FG% (35.7), FT% (63.7) and FG% defense (43.0).
- Navy is coming off a 62-52 setback at Army on Saturday.
Niles Steps Up On Senior Day
- Hannah Niles surpassed her previous season-best of 11 points, and she finished just three shy of her career scoring high with her 14-point total on Saturday. Niles has now reached double figures in three of Loyola's last four home games.
- Niles became the second Loyola player to go 10 for 10 from the free throw line in a game this season. Laryn Edwards previously accomplished the feat on Jan. 8 against Colgate.
- Niles is now the lone Loyola player to start all 26 games in 2019-20, and she has earned starts in 50 of 57 games overall in the past two seasons.
- With her 10 for 10 effort on Saturday, Niles is now shooting 88.2 percent (30-34) from the charity stripe this season.
Current Playoff Setup
- Loyola currently ranks eighth in the Patriot League standings with three games remaining in the regular season.
- The Greyhounds are one game ahead of No. 9 Army and two games in front of Navy in 10th. Loyola holds the current tiebreaker with both through its win over No. 1 Bucknell back on Jan. 25.
- The No. 7 and No. 8 seeds will host an opening round Patriot League tournament game on Saturday, March 7. Current No. 7 seed American (11-14, 7-8) holds a three-game edge over the Greyhounds.
Edwards Leads the Offense
- Laryn Edwards had one of her best all-around games of the season on Saturday with her 18-point, nine-rebound effort against Lafayette.
- The nine boards surpassed her previous season and career-high of seven from Loyola's home opener against Howard on Nov. 20, and her four made 3-pointers matched a season best.
- Edwards has now reached double figures in seven games this season. She set a career-high with 19 points back on Jan. 8 against Colgate.
Gray Approaching 3-Point Record
- Alexis Gray is currently third in team history with 145 career 3-pointers made. She is 12 back of program-record holder Nicole Krusen (2011-14) and five behind Meredith Tolley (2007-11) in second place.
- For the season, Gray ranks second on the team at 9.0 points per game. She has reached double figures on 11 seperate occasions on the year, including seven of the past 10 contests.
- Gray's 17 points in the first matchup against Navy on Feb. 1 were her most in a game this season.
Quick Notes
- The Greyhounds are a perfect 7-0 when out-shooting their opponent this season, and they are 6-2 when leading at halftime.
- Loyola, the Patriot League leader in steals per game (10.2) was limited to a season low of one theft against Lafayette on Saturday.
- The Greyhounds lead the Patriot League in 3-point FG% defense (28.8) and rank second in turnovers forced per game (18.1).
- Loyola is 0-5 in games decided by three points or less.
- Loyola is 5-6 at Reitz Arena compared to a 2-13 mark away from home.
Looking Ahead
- Loyola is back on the road for two games to wrap up the regular season, beginning with a 4 p.m. matchup at Lehigh on Sunday afternoon.
