BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland women's basketball completed its 2023-24 regular-season on Wednesday night, finishing the year with its best finish in the Patriot League since joining the conference in 2013-14.
The Greyhounds tied for second and will enter the Patriot League Championships with a quarterfinal home game on Monday night, facing Lehigh University at 7:10 p.m. in Reitz Arena.
On Wednesday night, American University's Lauren Stack broke a 60-60 tie on a free throw with 4:28 left in regulation, and the Eagles held on for a 73-70 victory over the host Greyhounds in the regular-season finale.
Stack made a basket in the paint just over 20 seconds later, and after a
Lex Therien basket for the Greyhounds, Laura Nogues scored for American at 2:24, and the lead was back to three for the Eagles.
American made 7 of 9 free throws from that point forward to hold on for the victory.
The Greyhounds led by as many as 12 points with 7:33 to go in the second quarter when Therien made a free throw.
American made a three on the next possession and then converted a bucket with 5:51 left in the half to cut the deficit to seven. Therien scored again, however, and Loyola's lead was back to nine at the 5:32 mark.
The Eagles chipped away, however, and got the deficit to a pair, 31-29, with an Anna Lemaster transition basket 48 seconds before halftime. Stack scored with eight seconds left to go in the period, but then Nogues picked up a steal near halfcourt and made a 40-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Eagles their first lead of the game.
American took an eight-point lead less than five minutes into the second half, but Loyola quickly reeled off a 13-0 run.
Kimmie Hicks scored eight of her team-high 20 points during the stretch with a baseline jumper putting Loyola in front by five, 52-47, with 2:32 left in the third quarter.
American cut the deficit to two by the end of the stanza, and the Eagles scored the first two points of the fourth to tie the game at 54-54. The game would be tied at every two-point interval following that until American broke away with Stack's free throw and basket.
Hicks led all players with 20 points, her fourth double-digit effort in the last five Loyola games and her second game with 20 or more.
Therien capped the year with another double-double, going for 15 points and 16 rebounds.
