ALEXANDRIA, La. – The Louisiana State University of Alexandria women's basketball team opened the 2024-25 season with an 83-70 victory over No. 13 Loyola University (La.).
"I think it was a good win for us," LSUA Head Coach Billy Perkins said. "Loyola is a good team. I had some returners who played well and I'm just very proud of our effort."
It is the first time in program history the Generals (1-0) have beaten a ranked opponent.
The Generals shot 46.2 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from deep. They also knocked down 80 percent of their free throws. The Wolf Pack (0-2) shot 46.7 percent from the field, but just 18.8 percent from long range. They also went just 11-for-25 at the charity stripe.
Dannah Martin-Hartwick led LSUA with 27 points. She added five assists and four rebounds.
Amani Gray chipped in 16 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Jewel Jones recorded 12 points and three boards, while
Reese Stephens added 16 points and three assists off the bench. LSUA recorded 32 points in the paint, 10 points off of turnovers, and 16 second chance points. The Generals' bench chipped in 21 points.
Trailing 11-9 in the first quarter, a 9-0 run to close the opening period put the Generals ahead 18-11.
Alexis Dyer opened the run with a layup in the paint.
A 15-0 run in the second quarter, after a pair of buckets from the Wolf Pack, pushed LSUA's lead to 19, 33-14, with 5:10 to play in the second. After back-to-back layups from Loyola, the Generals pushed for another run, this time netting six points before Loyola ended the scoreless streak with a free throw. LSUA took its largest lead of the game with 1:44 remaining in the second quarter on a layup from
Benedetta Peracchi, 41-19. The Generals led 43-20 at half time.
LSUA held a double-digit lead until 5:40 in the fourth quarter. The Wolf Pack made it a 67-58 contest with a bucket in the paint. The Generals quickly reestablished a double-digit barrier and did not look back.
The Generals travel to Baton Rouge for an exhibition against NCAA Division I No. 7 LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Wednesday, October 30. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
