NEW ORLEANS – The No. 24 Martin Methodist Women's Basketball team closed out a four-game conference road trip with a 73-70 come-from-behind victory at Loyola (La.) University Saturday afternoon.
In a game that featured 10 ties and 19 lead changes, the RedHawks (14-3, 7-1 SSAC) scored the game's first bucket, but could only build a six point lead midway through the first half against a pesky Wolfpack squad.
Leading 18-12 with 9:19 left in the period, the RedHawks found themselves trailing at the break as the Wolfpack closed with a 8-2 run to take a 29-28 halftime lead.
In the second period, the RedHawks found themselves trailing for a sizable portion of play, but never fell behind by more than four points. As result, the RedHawks were able to claw their way back into the game with timely shooting down the stretch.
Trailing 70-68 with 50 seconds remaining, Rachel Brown sank a deep 3-point bucket to give the RedHawks a one point lead. Over the next two possessions, the RedHawks would extend their lead with a pair of free throws to salt away the three-point victory.
Brown finished the contest with a game-high 18 points on a 6-of-13 shooting night. The senior also tracked down 10 rebounds to record her fifth double-double of the season.
Joining Brown in the double-double department was fellow senior Tyffani Fenwick, who poured in 16 points and tracked down 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
Sophomore point guard Nina Mills scored 18 points in the victory for the RedHawks, who notched their seventh consecutive Southern States Athletic Conference victory.
"This was one of the toughest wins I've had as a coach," RedHawks head coach Jamy Bechler said. "It was a back-and-forth battle for 40 minutes. Every possession mattered. Loyola is an extremely good team that is easily a national tournament caliber team. To beat this good of a team at their place is very satisfying. They did a great job of rebounding the ball, which is our bread and butter. Our team stepped up when it mattered. We were able to hit some key baskets down the stretch with Nina and Rachel hitting big threes and Tyffani doing what Tyffani does. I am really proud of our resiliency today."
Kylah Jones scored 17 points to lead the Wolfpack (11-7, 5-3) in scoring. As a team, the RedHawks held the Wolfpack to just 23 made field goals and a 30.7 shooting percentage.
With the win, the RedHawks improved to 7-2 on the road this season and notched their sixth consecutive road victory. The RedHawks secured their fourth consecutive victory overall and moved into a tie for first place in league play alongside the University of Mobile (Ala.).
The RedHawks return to action Jan. 23 when they host Blue Mountain (Miss.) College. Tipoff in next Thursday's showdown is set for 5:30 p.m. in the Curry Christian Life Center.
