The Matchup
- Loyola returns to South division play with a weekend series against Navy, as the Greyhounds take on the Mids for the first time this season.
- This begins a revised schedule in which Loyola will play only Navy and American over the season's final six games. The top two teams in the three-team division will automatically advance to the Patriot League tournament. American (3-1 South) currently holds the edge over Navy (1-1) and Loyola (0-2).
Last Time Out
- Making up a game which was postponed by snow on Jan. 31, Loyola set a new season high for scoring but dropped a 76-69 decision at Lafayette on Wednesday.
- 2020-21 Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Natalie Kucowski scored a career-high 36 points (15-25 FG) to go along with 13 rebounds, four assists and four blocks for the Leopards (2-5 PL, 0-4 CEN).
- Isabella Therien set new season highs in points (16), rebounds (9) and minutes played (35) for Loyola, which had four players in double figures for the first time this year.
- Emily McAteer added 15 points and six rebounds, Devyne Newman totaled 14 points and Taleah Dixon had 11. Laryn Edwards matched a career-best with five assists.
- Lafayette shot 56.6% (27-63) from the field and 50.0% (6-12) from 3-point range.
- Kucowski's 36 points were the most scored by a Patriot League player this season.
Therien Rounding Back Into Form
- Isabella Therien has seen her numbers steadily rise since rejoining the starting lineup after a two-year absence on Jan. 23 against American.
- Therien, the 2018 Patriot League Rookie of the Year who was limited to two reserve appearances last season due to injury, has seen her points and minutes total rise in each of the past four contests. Her 16 points on Wednesday were her most since her final appearance of the 2018-19 season, a 21-point effort against Lehigh on Jan. 30.
- Therien averaged 14.9 points per game across her first two collegiate seasons, reaching double figures in 34 of 42 appearances and totaling 20+ points on eight occasions.
Series History
- Navy leads 21-12 in a series which dates back to 1978.
- Loyola has won four-straight matchups between the two teams, the program's longest winning run in the history of the series.
- The Greyhounds won the last meeting by a 64-54 margin at Reitz Arena on Feb. 26 last season, with Emily McAteer contributing 16 points (6-9 FG, 2-3 3FG) in 24 minutes off the bench. 2020 grad Alexis Gray had 19 points in that meeting, and she totaled 17 points in Loyola's 50-44 win at Navy in the first matchup on Feb. 1.
Scouting Navy
- The Mids (2-6, 2-2 PL) have split PL series with American and Army. They have not played since suffering a 63-58 defeat to the Black Knights on Jan. 24.
- Navy, which was one of two Patriot League teams to play non-conference opponents, went 0-4 in that portion of its schedule.
- Sophie Gatzounas ranks third in the PL among eligible players in scoring (16.6 ppg), scoring 10+ points in 6 of 7 appearances.
- Jennifer Coleman (17.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg) has double-doubles in 4 of 5 appearances. A third team All-PL honoreein 2019, she totaled 21 points and 14 boards in a 63-49 win over Army on Jan. 23.
- Gatzounas (1st, 37.8), Coleman (3rd, 36.4) and Kolbi Green (4th, 36.0) are all ranked in the top five in the PL in minutes per game.
Quick Notes
- Loyola's team FT percentage of 78.1 ranks third in the Patriot League and 16th overall in Division I. Taleah Dixon leads the team in FT attempts, and she is shooting 80.0% (16-20) through the season's first five games. Loyola was a perfect 6 for 6 from the line at Lafayette on Wednesday.
- Laryn Edwards' five assists on Wednesday were tied for the most by a Loyola player this season. She ranked second on the team with 66 assists last season.
- Loyola had four players score 10+ points in a game on Wednesday for the first time since March 1 at Lehigh last season.
- Caramina Tañedo scored a season-high six points off the bench at Lafayette, hitting 2 of 3 attempts from 3-point range.
- Loyola out-rebounded its opponent for the first time this year on Wednesday, finishing with a 33-28 advantage on the glass.
- In the first six weekends of the 2021 season, the Greyhounds only played their scheduled opponent once (American on Jan. 23-24) due to COVID-19 issues in opposing teams' TIer 1 groups.
- Loyola's opponents have scored over 60 points in five of the first six games. The Greyhounds were 0-18 when that happened last season, compared to an 8-4 mark when keeping teams under 60 points.
Offense Trending Up
- Loyola's offensive numbers have been steadily on the rise as the season progresses, culminating in a season-high 69 points on Wednesday.
- The Greyhounds scored 20 points, their most in a quarter, in the opening 10 minutes at Lafayette, and they quickly surpassed that with 21 points in the fourth quarter.
- Loyola also hit a season-high nine 3-pointers on Wednesday, with Emily McAteer and Taleah Dixon each connecting three times from long distance.
McAteer Continues to Fill Stat Sheet
- Emily McAteer has now reached double figures in five of Loyola's six games on the year after her 15-point effort at Lafayette on Wednesday.
- McAteer, who scored a career-high 19 points in the first meeting with Lafayette on Jan. 30, has started all six games for the Greyhounds while averaging 30.2 minutes per contest. She leads the team in scoring (12.0 ppg), rebounding (6.2 rpg), 3-pointers made (10) and blocks (6).
- McAteer's rebounding total ranks 11th in the Patriot League. She has grabbed 6+ boards in 5 of 6 games overall.
- McAteer was a Patriot League All-Rookie Team selection last winter after averaging 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in Loyola's 18 conference games.
Newman Returns to Double Figures
- Devyne Newman, who scored a career-high 16 points in Loyola's season opener at Bucknell, had her best offensive performance since that date on Wednesday, totaling 14 points (7-13 FG) at Lafayette.
- Newman has been a consistent mid-range threat for the Greyhounds, shooting 50.0% (24-48) from inside the 3-point line on the year.
- A transfer from St. Joseph's University, Newman appeared in 40 games across two seasons with the Hawks and was recognized as the team's Best Defensive Player in 2019-20.
Patriot League Announces Format Changes for 2020-21 Season
- In response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the Patriot League has instituted several changes to the basketball schedule for this season, including the separation of schools into three divisions to limit team travel. Loyola is grouped with American and Navy in the newly-created South division.
- Loyola's first four matchups against both American and Navy will count in the divisional standings, which will be used to determine seeding in this year's conference tournament.
- Eight teams will qualify for the conference tournament, rather than the usual 10. Winners of each division will be seeded 1-3, while second-place teams will be seeded 4-6. The final two spots will be awarded based on overall win percentage against PL opponents.
Patriot League Begins Partnership with ESPN+
- The Patriot League announced in September a multi-year agreement which makes ESPN+ the exclusive digital home for the conference's sporting events, beginning with the 2020-21 academic year.
- All Loyola women's basketball games this season will be available on ESPN+, which can be purchased for either $5.99 a month or $49.99 annually. Fans can also subscribe to ESPN+ as part of the Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) for just $12.99/month.
- More information regarding how to watch the Greyhounds on ESPN+ is available HERE.
Looking Ahead
- Loyola remains in South division play with a weekend series against American, as the Greyhounds travel to DC on Saturday and host the Eagles at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
