WASHINGTON – A strong second and third period showing from Loyola Marland created a gap that the American University women's basketball team would be unable to chase, the Eagles dropping 68-39 in Bender Arena on Saturday afternoon.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Cecilia Kay once again led for American on both ends with another solid performance. She finished the afternoon with 12 rebounds, leading all players on both teams, and nine points for the Eagles. The freshman forward also picked up a block, the only one from the Eagles.
• Ivy Bales also had nine points for the Eagles, finding herself all over the court. Bales had five rebounds, three assists, and a steal all by the end of the game, proving her worth on both ends of the court.
• Loyola Maryland's Laura Salmerón and Meliah Van-Otoo had prolific nights for the Greyhounds offensively. Salmerón had 19 points and Van-Otoo trailed with 14 points, and significant buzzer beater to end the half. Salmerón shot 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
• The Greyhounds outshot the Eagles, going 47.5 percent from the floor to the Eagles 27.6 percent, and led in rebounds, topping AU 48-30 on the boards. Of those 48 rebounds, 10 came from Koi Sims, who led on the glass for Loyola. 

How it Happened

• The first point of the night came quickly from Loyola's Sims. The Eagles struggled offensively, but Kay and Garbee responded by scoring a layup and sinking a three-pointer early for American.
• American wasn't going away. The Eagles would go on a 6-0 run, through the 3:53 mark in the first quarter, putting the Eagles up 9-7.
• The Greyhounds took back the court offensively, going on a 5-0 run and taking the lead, but only by one, 12-11, going into the second quarter.
• The Eagles began to trail behind and AU would trail 30-16 at the midway point of the frame. Greyhound Laura Salmerón already accumulated 12 points. Keeping the paces, Loyola's Meliah Van-Otoo scored a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the half, making the score 37-18.
• The Greyhounds shot 53.6 percent to AU's 29.6 percent from the floor in the first half, taking 28 shots to AU's 27 attempts. Salmerón and Sims had 12 and 8 points for the Greyhounds, Salmerón leading all players. Bales led the Eagles in points with 5 at the half.
• American was down by 19 the locker room break. The Greyhounds outscored the Eagles in the second quarter, 25-7, holding them to single digits in the frame.
• The Eagles came out strong after the half, scoring eight points in the first four minutes, but the Greyhounds would go on an 8-0 run, breaking 50 points and putting them up 52-29 with four minutes to play in the penultimate quarter.
• Nogues picked up her second and third fouls with 2:56 left in the third, but remained in the game, her on court contributions including five points and leading in assists for the Eagles with three.
• Garbee pushed back against Loyola, scoring a three-pointer with 1:19 left to play in the third quarter.
• Kay, with a free throw and layup opened the fourth quarter, followed by Salazar with three free throws, opening the fourth on a 5-0 run. The Greyhounds scored their first points with 5:14 remaining in regulation.
• The Eagles tied in points with the Greyhounds in the fourth quarter, but any pushback fell short. American couldn't keep up in the second and third quarters and would be unable to mount a comeback. Loyola would take the game 68-39 on Americans home court.

On the Horizon
The Eagles will stay home on Wednesday, Feb. 19 to take on the Black Knights of Army West Point. First tip is set for 7 p.m. in Bender Arena and the game will the AU's Hispanic Heritage Celebration game.
 
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