No. 4 Lehigh women’s basketball defeated No. 5 Loyola Maryland University 68-54 in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals on Monday evening in Stabler Arena.
Junior guard and captain Gracyn Lovette commanded the floor for the Mountain Hawks (16-13, 12-7 Patriot League), finishing with 19 points and eight assists. Sophomore guard and forward Belle Bramer tallied 16 points and three steals.
Loyola (12-18, 8-11 Patriot League) graduate student post Lex Therien led the Greyhounds with 20 points and nine rebounds. Graduate student post Koi Sims followed with six points and six rebounds.
The game opened with Loyola in possession, and both teams exchanged points early. By 6:48, Lehigh had built an 11-5 lead following a three-pointer by junior forward and Third-Team All-Patriot League Whitney Lind.
The Mountain Hawks continued to find success inside early, shooting 60% from within the arc during the first quarter compared to the Greyhounds 50%.
Lehigh also applied pressure defensively, collecting five steals across the roster and converting the takeaways into eight points.
Lovette helped drive Lehigh’s offense in the first half, scoring 12 points through a combination of field goals and three-pointers. Lehigh led 34-28 at the half.
“I think our team was really locked in on playing together,” coach Addie Micir said. “We had two different leading scorers than we normally have, and that shows how connected our group is.”
The Mountain Hawks maintained their momentum after halftime, finding success beyond the arc while limiting Loyola’s perimeter opportunities. Lehigh shot 28.6% from three-point range in the third quarter, while the Greyhounds failed to convert.
Both teams scored 15 points in the ten minutes, but Lehigh continued its lead, 49-43.
Throughout the fourth quarter, both teams traded fouls that sent multiple players to the free-throw line. Loyola attempted to chip away at the gap in score.
Lovette’s drive proved to be pivotal for the Mountain Hawks.
“We need (Lovette) to be aggressive,” Micir said. “That doesn’t mean she has to take all the shots, but when she’s looking for hers, it changes the dynamic of the team.”
Lehigh gradually extended its lead late into the fourth quarter, and Loyola faced its largest deficit of the game with 1:45 remaining, trailing by 16 points.
Lovette said the team embraced the liveliness of postseason play.
“Everything just kept falling in,” Lovette said. “Playoffs are a different energy and a different feeling. I woke up super excited to play and give it everything I had.”
First-year guard Alana Reddy sealed the win with two free throws in the closing minutes. She said the team remained confident even when shots weren’t falling.
“You just have to keep shooting,” Reddy said. “I’m a shooter, and the mentality is that if you miss one, the next one’s going in.”
The Mountain Hawks will now travel to Annapolis, Maryland to play No. 1 Navy on Thursday.
“We believe in us,” Lovette said. “We take it one game at a time and we’re ready for whoever we play.”
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