While most Loyola students were sunbathing Laguna-style on the beaches of Florida during spring break, the Loyola women’s basketball team was making history.
The 2007-2008 Lady ‘Pack became the first team to make it into the Elite Eight of the National Association of Intercollegiate Atheletes Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament.
However, the “sweethearts of the NAIA” ended their record-breaking season with a 68-50 loss to Trevecca Nazarene University in Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn.
“It hurts because these (tournaments) usually end in a loss,” the usually composed Head Coach Dobee Plaisance said, as she fought back tears and spoke through sobs. “I’m so proud of how the women fought all year and Jackson has been so incredible to us.
“We had plenty of fans come out and support us and all the spectators and announcers from Jackson hated for us to lose and didn’t want us to leave. We became like the sweethearts of the NAIA.”
The national tournament kicked off March 20 when the Wolfpack defeated the No. 28-ranked Westminster College, 73-64. Trenell Smith, management sophomore, had a game-high 28 points.
Kiely Schork, mass communication senior, also scored 19 points, five of which were three-pointers.
This win marked the first time in Loyola history that the Lady ‘Pack advanced to the second round of the national competition.
“It felt great to win and it was a lot of fun,” Mainguy said. “Everyone was playing together and we kept our confidence and composure that helped in the game. We never once felt like the underdogs. It felt great to advance past the first game.”
March 21 the ‘Pack upset the No. 3-ranked Point Loma Nazarene 71-64. The women led the entire game as Schork tied her season high with seven three-pointers, making her point total 21.
Not only was this victory against the highest-ranked club Loyola has beaten in the program’s history, but it also led the women into the Elite Eight quarterfinals; a feat last conquered in the conference by Dillard University in 1988.
But in the battle to make it into the semi-finals, Loyola fell to Trevecca Nazarene University on March 22. The Lady Trojans led the entire final match against the ‘Pack, with a 22-point lead in the second half. And despite the Smith sisters’ rallying attempt to catch up in the game, the women lost because of a lackluster shooting percentage.
“They fought hard but the bottom line was, we needed to shoot better,” Plaisance said. “It sure wasn’t for lack of effort, because we made more attempts than (Trevecca), but our shots just fell early on.”
But newly appointed NAIA All-American women’s honorable mention player Trenell Smith didn’t let the loss bring down her morale.
“It hurts to lose now,” Smith said. “We did our best and we made it further than ever before, so we’re still keeping our heads up.”
Making it into the Elite Eight in nationals is the furthest Loyola has advanced in the program’s history. This year has also been the highest ranking for the Lady ‘Pack at No. 15 in the NAIA Polls, and they’ve won the most games in a single season with 28 games. Star players Trenese Smith and Schork also got individual honors of their own. Smith was named to the NAIA All-American women’s second team and scored a school record of 690 points in a single season.
Schork won the Hustle Award at the 2008 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament, rounding out her career as a Lady Wolf with a program record of 1,842 points and a school record of 493 three-pointers made.
Schork is also the only Loyola women’s basketball player to be named All-GCAC all four years in her career.
So, with the monumental season over for the 2007-2008 women’s basketball team, Plaisance looks to the future and awaits the next record-breakers to grace Loyola’s courts – but not without paying homage to the-little-team-that-could that made it further than any other Loyola team in history.
“It’s a real testament to these kids that wherever we go, everyone embraces them,” a tearful Plaisance said. “These girls are so courageous. They’re fighters who are passionate about basketball. Every year I challenge each player to leave Loyola a better person than when they came in and every year, each player accomplishes this goal.
“These girls fought so hard, and believe me, they made myself and Loyola so proud.”
Briana Prevost can be reached at [email protected].
Kimberly Rigg, psychology senior, attempts a shot against Point Loma Nazarene, which Loyola upset 71-64 in the second round of the national tournament March 21. Nazarene was ranked third in the nation at the time. (Courtesy of Willis Glasgow/WG Sports Photos)
Looking for someone open after fighting for the ball, Kiely Schork, Mass Communication senior, helped to propel her team to a 71-64 win over top-ranked Point Loma Nazarene. (Courtesy of Willis Glasgow/WG Sports Photos)
