Knights Capture Home Victory Over Loyola

Jan 31, 2018

Army_Daizjah Morris — The Army West Point women’s basketball team picked up its second consecutive Patriot League victory after defeating Loyola, 62-47, on Saturday afternoon at Christl Arena.

WEST POINT – The Army West Point women’s basketball team picked up its second consecutive Patriot League victory after defeating Loyola, 62-47, on Saturday afternoon at Christl Arena.

Madison Hovren posted a double-double, while leading all scorers in the game with 23 points on 11-of-17 shooting to pair with a team-best 11 rebounds. Janae McNeal also reached double-figures in the scoring column for Army (11-10, 4-6 Patriot League) with 10 points, while Aliyah Murray added eight with 10 rebounds against Loyola (6-15, 4-6 Patriot League).

It was a back-and-forth battle to start the game, but with Hovren putting up seven points and Daizjah Morris scoring with 58 seconds left in the opening quarter, Army led 16-14 heading into the second.

The second quarter started off slow with just two points being scored between the two sides in the first 4:55. McNeal’s jumper at the 9:04 mark sparked a 12-2 Army run and the Black Knights gained a double-digit advantage over the Greyhounds.

Loyola countered with an 8-2 run to bring the game back within single digits, 30-24, and it stayed that way entering the half as the Black Knights led 32-26 before heading into the locker room.

It was all Army in the third quarter as the Black Knights outscored Loyola 19-6 for over a nine-minute span. The large run pushed the Cadets’ lead to 19, before a Loyola basket in the closing minute made it a 17-point game heading into the final quarter of play.

In the fourth, a Morgann Yancey 3-pointer got things started and extended Army’s lead to 20. The Black Knights looked to Hovren from that point forward and she delivered. The junior scored all eight of Army’s points the rest of the way. Despite a 9-2 late Greyhound run, the Black Knights’ lead proved to be insurmountable and Army captured the league win.

All 10 Patriot League women’s basketball teams will be off this upcoming Wednesday. The Black Knights will resume play on Saturday when the team heads to the nation’s capital for a meeting with a red-hot American squad at 3 p.m.