Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Loyola University Maryland Athletics

Scoreboard

Devyne Newman
Larry French

Women's Basketball

Women's Basketball Faces UMBC to Conclude Homestand on Wednesday

Devyne Newman
Game Information
Opponent UMBC Retrievers
Date Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Time 7:00 p.m.
Location Baltimore, Md.  | Reitz Arena
Tickets Purchase
Getting There Directions
Watch Online ESPN+  |  International Video Stream 
Online Media Live Stats
Follow Us Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Game Notes Loyola  Get Acrobat Reader


The Matchup
  • Loyola women's basketball concludes a three-game homestand on Wednesday, hosting local rivals UMBC for the first time in five years.
  • The Greyhounds will be looking for their first two-game winning steak since topping Monmouth (64-48, Dec. 20) and Dartmouth (72-56, Dec. 31) midway through the 2019-20 season.

Last Time Out

  • Laura Salmerón scored 15 points to lead four Loyola players in double figures, and Charia Roberts made several key plays late in the fourth quarter and overtime of a 68-59 victory for the Greyhounds over Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday.
  • Loyola  earned its first win under new head coach Danielle O'Banion, and the first win overall for the program since Feb. 26, 2020. Lex Therien (10 points, 11 rebounds, four steals) recorded her first collegiate double-double, while Taleah Dixon (14 points) and Bri Rozzi (12 points, five rebounds) also finished in double figures.
  • The Greyhounds ended the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run, and they outscored the Knights (0-2) by a 13-4 margin in extra time to clinch their first overtime victory since Jan. 2, 2017 at Lafayette.

Roberts Delivers in Crunch Time

  • Charia Roberts nearly secured a victory for Loyola without requiring overtime, as she converted a tough basket inside to put the Greyhounds in front with 7.8 seconds remaining in regulation.
  • After FDU rallied to tie the score, Roberts completed a 3-point play early in overtime which gave the home side a two-possession lead at 60-55. 
  • Loyola was still up by five with 1:22 left when she drew a key charge on defense which led to FDU's No. 2 leading scorer Chloe Wilson fouling out of the game. 
  • Roberts finished with nine points and five rebounds in 35 minutes of game action. She is averaging 9.3 points and 6.3 boards three games into her sophomore season.

Series History

  • Loyola leads 27-13 in a series which dates back to 1973.
  • The teams have faced off six times in the last decade, which each side posting three victories during that span.
  • The Greyhounds posted a 70-65 road victory in the last meeting on Dec. 10, 2016. A pair of 2020 graduates in Alexis Gray (17 pts, 5-10 3FG) and Stephanie Karcz (13 pts, 16 reb) led the way for Loyola.

Scouting UMBC

  • The Retrievers have split their first two games this season, falling 61-52 at Colgate on Saturday after beginning the year with a 79-33 win over Division III Gettysburg.
  • Danae Marquez (4-7 FG, 3-4 3FG) led the offense with 11 points off the bench at Colgate. UMBC was limited to 31 points in the first three quarters over the weekend.
  • The Retrievers were limited to eight games during the COVID-impacted 2020-21 campaign. They played their final game on Jan. 4 and officially discontinued the season on Jan. 29.
  • Eight new players, including six transfers, are included in this year's 11-player roster. Returners include two former third team All-America East performers in Janee'a Summers and Onome-Juliet Esadah.
  • UMBC went 10-18 (6-10) during its last full season in 2019-20.

Quick Notes from FDU

  • Loyola shot over 75 percent from the free throw line for a third-straight game to begin the season (78.3%, 18-23). 
  • Taleah Dixon hit 8 of 10 free throw attempts, and she is shooting 88.9 percent (16-18) from the charity stripe through three games.
  • Laura Salmerón's team-high 15 points included a 6 for 9 shooting performance from the field. She was recognized on Monday as an honorable mention selection for the Patriot League's Rookie of the Week.
  • Lex Therien's double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) was the program's first since her older sister Isabella totaled 16 points and 11 boards in last year's Patriot League quarterfinal at Bucknell. She played a team-high 39 minutes in Sunday's victory.
  • The Greyhounds went to overtime for the first time since Jan. 11, 2020 at Lafayette. They are now 3-9 in OT dating back to March 4, 2011.
  • Bri Rozzi's 12 points were her most in a game since she scored a career-high 13 vs. Holy Cross on Jan. 2, 2020. She also led the team in +/- (+17) and fouls drawn (8).
  • Loyola snapped an 18-game losing overall dating back to a 64-54 home win over Navy on Feb. 26, 2020.

Down to the Wire

  • Loyola has had fourth quarter leads in each of its first three games this season, with the Greyhounds breaking through for their first victory against Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday.
  • After trailing 44-34 through three quarters of Friday's home opener vs. George Mason, Loyola used a 17-3 run to jump ahead 51-47 with 2:18 remaining. 
  • The Patriots would recover to score the game's final six points, including a game-winning putback with five seconds left to escape with a 53-51 win. 
  • The Greyhounds also led by as many as 19 points in the second half of their season opener at Niagara. Loyola took a 62-60 advantage into the fourth quarter of that contest before the Purple Eagles pulled away late to hand the visitors an 81-71 setback.

Strong Start from Beyond the Arc

  • Loyola hit 8 of 14 attempts from 3-point range in last Tuesday's season opener at Niagara. That 57.1 percent shooting output was the program's best since Jan. 24, 2018 against Lehigh (60.0%, 6-10).
  • Taleah Dixon (3-5 3FG) led the way from long distance, while Bri Rozzi (2-4 3FG) and Caramina Tañedo (2-2 3FG) also hit a pair of 3-point attempts.
  • The Greyhounds' 71 overall points were the program's most in a game since Jan. 8, 2019.

Prepping for Patriot League Play

  • Wednesday's home matchup will be the third of 11 non-conference games for the Greyhounds prior to their Patriot League opener against Army on Dec. 30.
  • Five of those contests will take place at Reitz Arena. After this week's homestand, Loyola hits the road for three straight games before hosting Mount St. Mary's (12/4) and Morgan State (12/8) in early December.
  • Loyola was ranked ninth out of 10 schools in this year's Patriot League preseason poll. The Greyhounds went 8-22 (5-13 PL) during their last full season of competition in 2019-20.

Five Newcomers Join Program for 2021-22

  • Loyola's 16-member roster includes five freshmen who will be making their collegiate debuts this winter.
  • Lex Therien becomes the third Therien sister to compete for the Greyhounds, joining current junior Ava Therien and 2021 graduate Isabella.
  • Lex was a two-time All-State performer at Cherokee HS in New Jersey, leading the team to a 92-10 record and ranking third in program history with 1,283 points. 
  • Therien and fellow freshman Keegan Douglas were named co-South Jersey Players of the Year during their senior high school seasons.
  • Douglas totaled 1,624 points at Haddonfield HS while helping the program win three Colonial Conference championships. She was chosen as the confernce's Player of the Year in each of her final two seasons.
  • Laura Salmerón joins Loyola after playing two seasons in Spain's second division basketball league. Salmerón, who also competed internationally for Spain's U-15 team, was a three-star ESPN recruit who received a 90 scouts grade.
  • Jonelle Price was a key contributor at Neumann-Goretti HS in Philadelphia, helping the program win a PIAA Class 3A state title.
  • Vanessa Stolstajner joins the Greyhounds as a walk-on. She was a two-time All-State performer at Cromwell HS in Connecticut, winning a Class A state title in 2019

Smart Hounds

  • Loyola posted a team grade-point average of 3.35 during the 2020-21 academic year. Kayla Sieper (3.97), Laryn Edwards (3.66), Devyne Newman (3.54) and Bri Rozzi (3.54) all have cumulative GPA's above a 3.50.
  • The program has a history of academic excellence, as the Greyhounds were named to the WBCA Division I Academic Top 25 Honor Roll for five-straight seasons from 2016-20. 
  • Loyola was one of just three schools nationally to crack the top 15 academically in each of those five years.

O'Banion Begins First Season in Charge

  • Danielle O'Banion was announced as the 12th head coach in program history on April 23, joining the Greyhounds after spending the past three seasons as an assistant at the University of Minnesots.
  • O'Banion brings over 20 years of Division I coaching experience to Baltimore. Her teams have combined for 10 postseason appearances, including five NCAA tournaments and one trip to the Final Four during her first stint with Minnesota in 2004.
  • Originally from Arlington, Virginia, O'Banion returns to the Mid-Atlantic after coaching stints at Minnesota, Memphis, Kent State and Harvard. A standout recruiter who has brought in four Top-50 classes during her career, she has also held multiple leadership positions within both the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Advocates for Athletic Equity (formerly Black Coaches and Administrators).
  • This will be O'Banion's second head coaching position, as she led Kent State's program from 2012-16.

Looking Ahead

  • Loyola hits the road for its next three games, beginning with a 2 p.m. matchup at Hofstra on Saturday.
 

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Taleah Dixon

#4 Taleah Dixon

Guard
5' 10"
Senior
Laryn Edwards

#2 Laryn Edwards

Guard
5' 6"
Senior
Devyne Newman

#5 Devyne Newman

Guard
5' 8"
Senior
Charia Roberts

#21 Charia Roberts

Forward
6' 0"
Sophomore
Bri Rozzi

#22 Bri Rozzi

Guard
5' 7"
Junior
Caramina Tañedo

#13 Caramina Tañedo

Guard
5' 10"
Sophomore
Ava Therien

#35 Ava Therien

Forward
5' 10"
Junior
Keegan Douglas

#33 Keegan Douglas

Guard
5' 7"
Freshman
Lex Therien

#45 Lex Therien

Forward
6' 1"
Freshman
Laura Salmerón

#15 Laura Salmerón

Guard
5' 8"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Taleah Dixon

#4 Taleah Dixon

5' 10"
Senior
Guard
Laryn Edwards

#2 Laryn Edwards

5' 6"
Senior
Guard
Devyne Newman

#5 Devyne Newman

5' 8"
Senior
Guard
Charia Roberts

#21 Charia Roberts

6' 0"
Sophomore
Forward
Bri Rozzi

#22 Bri Rozzi

5' 7"
Junior
Guard
Caramina Tañedo

#13 Caramina Tañedo

5' 10"
Sophomore
Guard
Ava Therien

#35 Ava Therien

5' 10"
Junior
Forward
Keegan Douglas

#33 Keegan Douglas

5' 7"
Freshman
Guard
Lex Therien

#45 Lex Therien

6' 1"
Freshman
Forward
Laura Salmerón

#15 Laura Salmerón

5' 8"
Freshman
Guard