MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Martin Methodist Women's Basketball team suffered a 66-53 loss to Loyola (La.) University in the 2018 SSAC conference tournament title game Saturday afternoon at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.
The RedHawks (26-7) saw their five-game win streak snapped in the loss. The appearance was the second-ever title game appearance for the RedHawks, who also lost to the Wolf Pack in the final of the 2016 tournament.
The back-and-forth affair saw five ties and six lead changes as the RedHawks enjoyed the majority of the momentum in the first half. After the first quarter, the RedHawks held a 13-12 advantage, but expanded their lead to five midway through the second quarter.
Tied at 29-29 at half, the RedHawks led by four early in the third quarter, but saw the Wolf Pack began to put together a flurry of buckets. Ahead 37-35 with 5:01 left in the third, the RedHawks would never lead again as the Wolf Pack closed the period on an 11-2 run and held a 46-39 edge at the end of the quarter.
In the fourth, the RedHawks sank an early triple to cut the deficit to just five, but were unable to draw any closer. The Wolf Pack lead quickly ballooned to double-digits and they held the RedHawks at bay to claim the conference title.
Senior forward Jemia Carpenter led the RedHawks with 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Carpenter was plagued with foul trouble in the second half, however, and did not score in the game's final quarter.
Freshman guard Erin Freeman finished the contest with 13 points, but was also plagued with foul trouble. Freeman was sidelined for much of the third and fourth quarters, but returned down the stretch with critical defensive pressure, rebounds and points for the RedHawks.
Loyola guard Zoie Miller led all scorers with 27 total points. The Wolf Pack sank 8-of-22 shots from beyond the arc while the RedHawks were limited to just 3-of-24 from distance.
Despite the loss, the RedHawks still qualified for their fourth-straight national tournament. The RedHawks punched their ticket to the 32-team event, which begins March 14 in Billings, Montana. The RedHawks will find out their first-round opponent and tournament seed during the nationwide selection show this Wednesday, March 7.
