The Wolfpack obtained a hard-fought victory over Dillard by beating them 66 – 58.

It was a team victory, as three Wolfpack players scored in double figures. Trenese Smith led the team in points with 18, followed by her twin, Trenell, who scored 17. Kiely Schork ended with 15.

From the start it seemed this game belonged to Loyola. Schork opened the game with a three pointer, her first of three for the night. She was responsible for the ‘Pack’s first 10 points, scoring eight and getting an assist for the 10th point.

Loyola began the game playing their usual man-zone defense. However, sloppy play was seen throughout the game, as there were many careless passes which resulted in 23 turnovers by the ‘Pack.

However, Trenese Smith, management junior, came up big when nothing seemed to be going right for Loyola. She managed to steal a pass and score an uncontested lay-up, helping maintain the team’s eight point lead. At the end of the first half, Loyola was ahead, 37 – 22.

In the second half, Christine Mainguy, management senior, showed great awareness when she missed a shot and got her own rebound, turning it into two points for the ‘Pack.

Trenell Smith, management junior, got into foul trouble early in the second half, committing her fourth foul. She started playing conservatively, something Dillard took advantage of. They cut Loyola’s lead to five points within the first seven minutes. 11 minutes into the half, Schork had yet to score, despite her hot start in the first half.

After the game, Dillard head coach Kiki Baker Barns said her team lost because “they couldn’t put the ball in the basket.” She was pleased with Sandra Nweke’s 21 points and 16 rebounds, making it her 15th double-double of the season, but she added that other players needed to help her. She ended by saying, “Loyola will do a fine job of representing the GCAC in the national tournament.

Schork said she played hard because she realized it could be the team’s last game. As for her scoring drought in the second half, she gave credit to Dillard’s defense. “They pressed us hard and forced me into tough shots,” she said.

Loyola head coach DoBee Plaisance expressed how proud she was of her team. She said she wasn’t surprised about Schork’s explosive start and gave her credit for stepping up when Trenell Smith got into foul trouble. She acknowledged that she played conservatively to avoid fouling out and credited her for avoiding it.

As to the 23 turnovers by her team, she said the team needs to execute better and that she needs to do a better job of communicating with her players.

Despite scoring 18 points, Trenese Smith said she feels she needs to “step it up more” in the next game, making sure to score the uncontested shots.

This win advanced Loyola to the next round.

Eduardo Gonzalez can be reached at [email protected].