Final Stats

BALTIMORE - The Lafayette women's basketball team failed to overcome an early deficit and ultimately fell to Loyola 75-47 in a Patriot League road contest on Saturday afternoon in Reitz Arena.

The Greyhounds (9-11, 5-4 PL) played in rhythm on the offensive end all afternoon, shooting the ball over 50-percent as a team in each of the four quarters. Loyola was led by Stephanie Karcz's game-high 20 points, while Bri Betz-White and Lisa Mirarchi put in 16 and 14, respectively.

The three leading scorers for the Greyhounds were responsible for well over half of the team's points, shooting 18-for-25 for a combined 50 points. Ball movement was key for the Greyhounds, who had 24 assists on 28 made shots.

Lafayette (1-20, 0-9 PL) was led by Ashley Lutz and Olivia Gumbs, who both reached double-figures in points. Lutz had a season high 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while Gumbs added 10 to go along with four boards.

The Greyhounds grabbed an early 10-point advantage, 11-1, after connecting on three of their first five from the field. Following a drive-and-score by Gumbs, Loyola came right back down the court and Betz-White buried her second three of the day from the corner.

The Loyola lead grew to 14, 19-5, with just under four minutes remaining in the opening quarter, as the Greyhounds continued to light it up from the field. The Greyhounds turned to Karcz and she delivered as she was continuously fed in the paint and used her left hand to lay the ball in off the glass. The rookie had 10 first-quarter points on 3-of-3 shooting while also making four foul shots.

The Leopards used a 9-4 run that lasted the final four minutes of the first, to trim the deficit to nine, 23-14, heading into the second quarter. Despite, Karcz getting in foul trouble and being taken out of the game less than two minutes into second, the Greyhounds were able to grab and hold a double-digit lead that lasted the remainder of the half and Loyola went into the break up 13, 41-28.

An 8-0 Loyola run to start the second half gave the Greyhounds a 21-point lead, the largest of the game to that point. The Leopards worked to chip into the deficit and managed to cut it to 15 before the Greyhounds added one final basket at the end of the third to go ahead 58-41.

In the fourth, the Greyhounds brought the lead back over 20 and held it for the remainder of the game en route to the conference win.

The Leopards will return to College Hill for a pair of home games, starting with a matchup against Army on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. in Kirby Sports Center before hosting Boston U. on Saturday, Feb. 4 for a 2 p.m. conference tilt.