Final Stats

EASTON, Pa. -- A late four-point lead in regulation was not enough for the Lafayette women's basketball team as Loyola knotted the game up before claiming the Patriot League victory in overtime, 60-55, on Monday night at Kirby Sports Center.

Lafayette (1-13, 0-2 PL) had a pair of double-digit scorers in the loss to the Greyhounds (5-8, 1-1 PL) as senior Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby poured in 13 points to go along with nine rebounds and freshman Sarah Agnello added 13 of her own in the scoring column. Junior Sammy Stipa was held to four points, but mustered seven boards and six assists.

The Leopards got off to one of their hottest starts to a game this season after taking a 14-0 advantage over the Greyhounds. The run was sparked by an Agnello three from the corner and for the next six minutes, the Leopards would force six Loyola turnovers while holding the Greyhounds scoreless.

Over that span, Agnello and Ottewill-Soulsby would be responsible for 12 of the team's first 14 points. It was not until under the four-minute mark that the Greyhounds got on the board with a Lauren Daugherty jumper. Loyola would add one more score before the opening quarter came to a close.

Daugherty kept the Greyhounds in the game by putting up a team-best eight points in the first half. However, the Lafayette lead would grow to 12 in the second quarter after a pair of three-point makes by Sammy Stipa and Alexis Santarelli.

The Greyhounds worked tirelessly to chip into the large deficit and found success on the offensive end once Daugherty buried a shot from long range to cut the deficit to nine, 20-11, with just over six minutes left in the half.

That three was the start of a 13-2 Loyola run that would make it a one-point game, 22-21, but the Leopards put in five-unanswered points to go up by six heading into the half.

Out of the halftime break the Leopards and Greyhounds traded baskets until Loyola took its first lead of the game after going on a 14-2 run to go ahead 36-33. Despite giving up the lead, the Leopards got right back into the game and with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter, Agnello hit a shot from deep to even the score at 38-38.

An Ottewill-Soulsby layup and a 3-pointer by Anna Ptasinski capped off a 10-1 Lafayette run that put the Leopards back on top, 43-39, to close out the third quarter.

The lead would not hold for long though as the Greyhounds trimmed the deficit to one midway through the final quarter on a Bri Betz-White three. Lafayette would extend its lead to four at the three-minute mark, but the Greyhounds responded with four unanswered points to tie the game up at 49-49.

With 25 seconds left in the game, the Greyhounds had the ball, but an illegal screen prior to the inbound gave the ball back to the Leopards. Lafayette held for the final shot and Agnello got a look at the basket with time winding down, but it fell short and the game was headed for overtime.

In the overtime period, the Greyhounds turned to Betz-White and she led the way by scoring the team's first seven points, including a three that gave the Greyhounds a 54-52 advantage. Loyola led by six following a Lisa Mirarchi three and that turned out to be enough for the visiting Greyhounds to seal the conference victory.

The Leopards will be back in action on Thursday, when they head to West Point, N.Y. to take on the defending Patriot League champion, Army at 7 p.m.