The Bison women’s basketball team took a small step backward in the league standings after a 60-50 loss against the Loyola Greyhounds. The Bison now stand at 14-5 on the season and 7-1 in Patriot League play. Ellie Mack ’20 came out strong, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a block.

The Greyhounds took advantage of their physicality by outscoring the Bison in the paint, 24-10, and outrebounding them, 32-23. The Greyhounds also dominated from the foul line alone, shooting 93.8 percent (15-of-16). In the first quarter alone, the Orange and Blue had to fight back from a 21-10 deficit.

On the other hand, the Bison had an impressive performance from behind the arc, finishing 12-for-29. In both the second and third quarters, the Bison outscored the Greyhounds, but could not come within three of tying.

In the first 10 minutes of the game, the Bison turned the ball over five times, giving the Greyhounds nine easy points. During the second quarter, the Orange and Blue made only 3-of-13 shots, all from 3-point range. The Bison stiffened up defensively to limit the Greyhounds to 2-of-9 for six points, trailing at halftime with a score of 27-19.

The third quarter was the Bison’s best as they shot 50 percent and sunk 5-of-8 3-pointers, decreasing the Greyhound’s lead to five by the start of the fourth quarter. The Bison went on a 7-0 run, coming as close as three points. The Greyhound’s free throws in the fourth quarter sealed their win in the final minutes of the game.

Along with Mack’s impact, Taylor O’Brien ’22 also contributed 10 points, Abby Kapp ’21 finished with nine points and Tessa Brugler ’21 finished with eight boards.

“I think that the biggest takeaway from our loss at Loyola is that any team is capable of beating us. This means we have to approach every game, no matter who we are playing, with the same level of preparation and focus. The rest of the season will continue to be challenging. We have a target on our back since we are in first place and have beaten the other best teams in the league,” O’Brien said.

On Jan. 29, the Bison had a strong all-around performance against Army’s Black Knights, winning 77-46. A big 16-0 run in the second quarter broke the game early open and the Orange and Blue did not look back from there. They forced 21 turnovers and led by as many as 39 points in the fourth quarter. Ellie Mack (18), Abby Kapp (12), Taylor O’Brien (11) and Ally Johnson ’21 (11) all scored double-digit points. 

The team will look to extend their lead in the Patriot League standings as they travel to Boston University for a 2 p.m. game on Feb. 1.