NEW ORLEANS, La. – Tennessee Southern closed out the regular season Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought 72-64 setback at No. 19 Loyola inside The Den, as the Firehawks now turn their attention to the 2026 SSAC Women's Basketball Championship.
Loyola used a fast start to seize control early, jumping out to a 22-9 lead after the first quarter. Silkiari Vazquez-Troche gave UT Southern its first points of the afternoon on a jumper at the 9:20 mark, briefly putting the Firehawks in front 2-0, but the Wolf Pack answered with a series of efficient offensive possessions to build a double-digit cushion.
Ashley Dickey knocked down a jumper to tie the game at 4-4 early in the first, and Taya Totten later connected from three off a Vazquez-Troche assist to keep UT Southern within striking distance. However, Loyola closed the quarter on a strong run to take a 13-point advantage into the second.
The Wolf Pack extended their lead to as many as 21 in the second quarter, pushing the margin to 36-15 midway through the frame. UT Southern continued to battle, getting a jumper from Lauren Smith off a Vazquez-Troche assist and buckets from Mia Jones and Mycala Carney to trim the deficit. Ramie Reid scored on back-to-back possessions late in the half, and Dickey added a free throw, but Loyola carried a 40-24 lead into the break.
The Firehawks delivered their strongest stretch in the third quarter, outscoring Loyola 25-19. Reid sparked the run with a three-pointer and a pair of jumpers, while Dickey caught fire from beyond the arc, drilling three triples in the period. Emma Bryant added a three-pointer and a putback bucket, helping UT Southern cut the deficit to single digits multiple times. By the end of the third, the Firehawks had pulled within 59-49.
In the fourth, UT Southern continued to chip away. Dickey buried another three to make it 52-60, and Vazquez-Troche scored on consecutive possessions midway through the quarter to bring the Firehawks within seven at 62-69. Dickey added a late jumper to trim the margin to seven again in the final two minutes, but Loyola answered at the free-throw line to seal the 72-64 decision.
Dickey led all Firehawks with 23 points, shooting 8-of-21 from the floor and 4-of-11 from three-point range while adding five rebounds and two steals. Reid recorded 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Vazquez-Troche filled the stat sheet with 10 points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals. Jones chipped in six points off the bench, while Bryant added five.
The loss closes the regular season with UT Southern at 20-5 overall and 12-4 in conference play.
The seeds are set for the 2026 SSAC Women's Basketball Championship, set for Feb. 25-28 in Montgomery, Ala. All games will be streamed free on the Urban Edge Network, with both the men's and women's tournaments held at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl. Spectators should note there is a clear bag policy and no outside food or drink permitted inside the facility.
As the No. 3 seed, UT Southern will open tournament play Thursday, Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. against No. 6 seed Blue Mountain Christian in the quarterfinal round.
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