In a Patriot League match-up on Sunday afternoon, the Navy women’s basketball team suffered a 74-50 loss to the Loyola Greyhounds, who shot an impressive 59% from the field.
The Greyhounds began the game hitting 12 of their first 14 shots, establishing a nine-point lead in the first quarter and maintaining their momentum throughout the game. Despite the loss, Sydne Watts and Maren Louridas stood out for Navy, contributing a combined 27 points.
Head coach Tim Taylor was disappointed with his team’s defensive performance, admitting that they struggled to get locked in, especially early on. He acknowledged that although they had been improving defensively in recent games, this performance was a letdown. Taylor also lamented his team’s shooting, as they were unable to convert many of the good looks they had at the basket.
The game started evenly, with both teams exchanging baskets, but Loyola closed out the first quarter on a 12-3 run to take a 19-10 lead. The Greyhounds extended their lead to 26-10 with the first seven points of the second quarter. However, Navy responded with a 10-3 run to pull within nine points, sparked by back-to-back baskets from Sydne Watts and two field goals from Lindsay Llewellyn. Despite this effort, Loyola finished the half strong, scoring six of the last nine points to take a 35-23 lead into the locker room.
Navy attempted a comeback in the third quarter, with Watts leading the charge by scoring 11 points in an 11-2 run. However, Loyola responded with a 12-0 run to re-establish their lead and never looked back. The Greyhounds’ strong free-throw shooting in the fourth quarter ensured that they maintained their lead throughout the game.
Although Navy turned Loyola over 20 times and were credited with seven steals, they were outshot by their opponents, with Loyola grabbing twice as many rebounds as Navy. The Mids will look to bounce back in their next game against American University on Wednesday night.
Coach Taylor remained optimistic about his team’s future, highlighting the importance of giving his younger players more opportunities to develop and play together. He believes that as they continue to gain experience, the team will improve and be more competitive in future games.