CHANDLER, Ariz. – The Montana Western women's basketball team (3-7) hung tight with RV Loyola (La.) throughout much of Saturday's matchup, but was ultimately outscored 27-18 in the final quarter on their way to falling 81-68 in the game.
How It Happened
Montana Western jumped to an early lead, outscoring Loyola 23-18 in the first quarter as
Payton Hagy led the way, hitting a pair of threes from beyond the arc.
However, a combination of turnovers and rebounding struggles allowed Loyola to turn the tide in the second quarter. Despite the low scoring quarter for the Bulldogs, UMW was able to maintain a 35-33 lead heading into the half break.
Loyola jumped out to an early lead in the third quarter, but
Kenzi Pedersen and
Maddy Moy joined forces to tie the game at 43 with four minutes left on the clock. Loyola responded by building their advantage to as much as seven points late in the quarter.
With less than a minute to go in the third,
Ava Bellach knocked down a crucial three-pointer to close out the period, narrowing the gap and leaving Western trailing by just four points.
Bellach connected once more from the arc, flipping the lead back in favor of the Bulldogs at 55-54 within the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Despite the close contest, Loyola would go on a 6-0 scoring run that helped them regain the lead, setting the stage for a dominant fourth where they closed out the game by outscoring Western 27-18 to win 81-68.
Notables
- Montana Western closely matched Loyola in the matchup, shooting 40 percent from the field and connecting on 10-of-31 opportunities at the three-point line.
- The Bulldogs were outrebounded in the game as Loyola surpassed UMW's total 49-29
- Isabella Lund led the Bulldogs with 16 points, adding six assists, four steals, and four rebounds.
- Hagy scored 14 points, including three three-pointers, while grabbing a pair of rebounds and dishing out two assists.
- Pedersen contributed 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting, providing consistent offense in the paint.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will take the upcoming week off and will return to action on Dec. 29 in the Straugh Gymnasium against Keyano College (AB) at 2 p.m.
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