Loyola edged William Carey 69-63 Monday night, snapping the Crusaders’ 57-game regular-season winning streak and 39-game conference winning streak, according to sources.
The Lady Crusaders started strong, with Shaneal Corpuz scoring the team’s first four points. Both teams traded leads in a fast-paced first quarter, with Jenna Garriga’s jumper giving Carey a 14-10 advantage. Loyola responded at the buzzer to cut the lead to 16-15. The back-and-forth contest continued into the second quarter, but Carey pulled ahead late thanks to key shots from Corpuz, Madelyn Ladner, and Charlie Gamberine. Gamberine’s deep three at the end of the half extended Carey’s lead to 28-22, and the Lady Crusaders went into halftime up 30-24 after Loyola scored only two field goals in the final five minutes.
In the third quarter, Loyola rallied with a 12-0 run to take a 38-34 lead. Corpuz stopped the drought, but Loyola immediately responded. Alyssa Hillard scored to bring Carey within 40-38 late in the quarter, but Loyola answered with two free throws to lead 42-38 heading into the final period. Ladner opened the fourth with a foul-extended layup to make it a one-point game. Despite the effort, Carey’s offense stalled, and Loyola built a 53-43 lead midway through the quarter. The Wolfpack extended their lead to 13, but Carey refused to give in, trimming the deficit to 60-53 with under two minutes remaining. The Crusaders continued to chip away, closing to six points in the final minute. However, Loyola responded each time to secure the victory.
Corpuz led William Carey with 21 points, while Ladner added 18. The Crusaders are scheduled to play next on Thursday, Jan. 29, against Life University in Marietta, Georgia, with a tip-off at 4:30 p.m., according to team officials.
