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Laura Salmeron
Dean Bogart

Women's Basketball

Women's Basketball Travels to Howard for Wednesday Night Matchup

Laura Salmerón
Game Information
Opponent Howard Bison
Date Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Time 7:00 p.m.
Location Washington, D.C.  | Burr Gymnasium
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The Matchup
  • Loyola women's basketball heads back to the nation's capital for a second-straight Wednesday, as the Greyhounds face Howard to wrap up a stretch of three-consecutive road games.

Last Time Out

  • Milan Bolden-Morris scored a game-high 21 points, while Kelsey Ransom added 15 points and five assists to help Georgetown top Loyola by a 66-55 final last Wednesday.
  • Bri Rozzi totaled a career-high 15 points for the Greyhounds, while Taleah Dixon and Charia Roberts (8-10 FT) added 12 points each and Lex Therien grabbed 12 rebounds. 
  • The Hoyas (3-2) shot 57.5 percent from the field overall and hit 8 of 9 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter to close out the victory.
  • Rozzi scored 10 of her 15 points in the fourth, as she surpassed her previous career-best scoring effort of 13 which was set on two previous occasions.

More on Rozzi

  • Bri Rozzi's career-high scoring output at Georgetown included a 3 for 7 output from 3-point range. She has hit eight 3-pointers in the last three games alone, and is shooting 42.9 percent (12 for 28) from long distance overall on the year.
  • Rozzi ranks second in the Patriot League in 3-point field goal percentage, and she is fifth in the conference in 3's per game (2.0).
  • One of three team captains this season (along with Taleah Dixon and Laryn Edwards), Rozzi is averaging a team-high 33.8 minutes per game while starting all six contests. She has reached double figures in 4 of 6 games, and is also shooting 84.2 percent (16 for 19) from the free throw line.

Series History

  • Both teams have four wins in a series which dates back to 2002.
  • Howard earned a 75-69 victory at Reitz in the most-recent meeting on Nov. 20, 2019, outscoring the Greyhounds 28-20 over the final 10 minutes after trailing 49-47 through three quarters. 
  • Current senior Laryn Edwards (11 pts) was one of three Loyola players in double figures in that matchup.
  • Loyola is 0-3 in its three previous games at Burr Gymnasium, including a 40-37 setback during its last trip on Nov. 28, 2012. The Greyhounds' last win over Howard came on Nov. 20, 2013 (72-62).

Scouting Howard

  • The Bison (2-4) will be playing at home for the first time this season on Wednesday. They had won back-to-back games at Saint Peter's (62-52) and Mount St. Mary's (56-49) before falling 96-52 at Towson over the weekend.
  • Howard went 15-4 (10-2 MEAC) during the abbreviated 2020-21 season, dropping a 59-57 decision to North Carolina A&T in the 2021 MEAC championship game.
  • Four starters return from last year's team, including 2021 MEAC Rookie of the Year Anzhane Hutton, third team All-MEAC performer Iyanna Warren and All-Rookie team selection Kaiya Creek. Howard was picked first in this year's MEAC Preseason poll.

Quick Hits from Georgetown

  • Charia Roberts' 12 points matched a season and career high, while her eight made free throws were also a new career best.
  • Taleah Dixon (12 points) hit 4 of 8 field goals attempts, including 2 of 4 shots from 3-point range, to reach double figures for a fifth time in six games to begin the year.
  • With her 12 rebounds, Lex Therien has now reached double figures on the glass in three of the last four games. She ranks second in the Patriot League in rebounds per game (9.8) and leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game (4.0).
  • Laura Salmerón dished out a team-high four assists for the Greyhounds, and she has 10 assists in the last three games overall.
  • Georgetown shot 57.5 percent from the field (23-40) and 57.1 percent from 3-point range (8-14), both of which were the highest by a Loyola opponent this season.
  • The Greyhounds forced a season-high 20 turnovers and had a 21-14 advantage in points off turnovers.
  • Last Wednesday marked the first time in six games this season that Loyola did not hold a lead in the fourth quarter.

Moving up the Patriot League Rankings

  • Loyola has shown improvement in several areas during the program's first six games under new head coach Danielle O'Banion.
  • The Greyhounds are currently third among Patriot League schools in 3-point FG% (34.1) and fourth in assists per game (11.8) after ranking last in both categories last winter.
  • Loyola is additionally fourth in rebounding margin (+1.5) after finishing ninth out of 10 conference schools in 2020-21, and the program also ranks fourth in scoring defense (61.8 ppg) and free throw percentage (75.2).

Balanced Attack 

  • Loyola has used the same starting lineup in each of the first six games - Taleah Dixon, Charia Roberts, Bri Rozzi, Laura Salmerón and Lex Therien - and those five have combined for 19 double-digit scoring performances.
  • All five starters are averaging between 9.3 and 12.2 points per game. The highest scoring total for any player was 15-point efforts by both Rozzi and Salmerón.
  • Roberts leads the starters in field goal percentage (44.7, 21-47).

Clutch at the Line

  • Loyola has shot over 70 percent from the free throw line in five of its first six games, including a season-best 81.8 percent output (9 for 11) at Hofstra on Saturday, Nov. 20.
  • Loyola hit 10 of 13 free throws in the fourth, including each of its last six attempts, to close out a victory over UMBC on Nov. 17.
  • Taleah Dixon (85.3%, 29-34) ranks third in the Patriot League in free throws made, and she is fourth among conference shooters in FT percentage.

Worth Noting

  • Loyola is searching for its first road victory since a 50-44 triumph over Navy on Feb. 1, 2020.
  • The Greyhounds have outrebounded their opponent by an overall margin of 140-116 during the past four games. They also have a sizable advantage in free throw attempts (73-40) during those four contests.
  • Bri Rozzi became the first Greyhound to play the entire game since Jan. 5, 2020 (Laryn Edwards vs. Lehigh) during Loyola's victory over UMBC.
  • Loyola rallied past the Retrievers after trailing 37-23 early in the third quarter. The program's last win after falling behind by 14+ points in the second half was a 66-60 triumph over Iona back in 2012.
  • Loyola's 68-59 OT win over FDU on Nov. 14 was the program's first in overtime since Jan. 2, 2017 at Lafayette. The Greyhounds are now 3-9 in OT dating back to March 4, 2011.

Therien Named Patriot League Rookie of the Week

  • Lex Therien received her first-career Patriot League weekly award last Monday after averaging 12.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game during a 1-1 week for the Greyhounds.
  • Therien contributed a season-high 13 points (6-11 FG) and nine rebounds in a 63-57 win over UMBC on Nov. 17, as Loyola rallied from a second-half 14+ point deficit for the first time since Feb. 10, 2012. Six of her rebounds came on the offensive end to help the Greyhounds finish with a convincing 38-27 advantage on the glass.
  • Therien followed that effort with her second double-double in the last three games at Hofstra on Saturday. She hit all four of her free throws and picked up six more offensive rebounds.
  • Therien is the program's first Patriot League weekly award winner since Emily McAteer was named Rookie of the Week on Jan. 13, 2020.

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 returns to Reitz Arena for its next two contests, hosting Mount St. Mary's at 5 p.m. Saturday on Alumnae Day before taking on local rival Morgan State at 7 p.m. next Wednesday.
 

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Players Mentioned

Taleah Dixon

#4 Taleah Dixon

Guard
5' 10"
Senior
Laryn Edwards

#2 Laryn Edwards

Guard
5' 6"
Senior
Emily McAteer

#34 Emily McAteer

Forward
6' 0"
Junior
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
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
Emily McAteer

#34 Emily McAteer

6' 0"
Junior
Forward
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
Lex Therien

#45 Lex Therien

6' 1"
Freshman
Forward
Laura Salmerón

#15 Laura Salmerón

5' 8"
Freshman
Guard