NEW ORLEANS, La. - In the SSAC Women's Basketball Game of the Week, the University of Mobile Women's Basketball team produced an 85-76 victory over No. 14 Loyola University (La.) on Saturday, Feb. 3, defeating the Wolf Pack on the road in New Orleans, La. Saturday's win is arguably the biggest victory of the season for Mobile as the team improves to 20-4 overall this year and 12-3 in the SSAC under first-year head coach Sydney Westry. The Rams are now just a half game back for first place in the current conference standings after Saturday's result, trailing Loyola for the top spot.
Additionally, the Rams have claimed at least 20 wins in a season for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign, where head coach Sydney Westry was last a player for Mobile. The 2016-17 team at UM finished with 22 victories on the season.
Successful Business Trip for the Rams
The Rams set the tone of Saturday's game early against the 14th-ranked team in the NAIA, opening the first quarter with 24 points. Meanwhile, Loyola was held to just 18 points through the first 10 minutes, relying on four made three-pointers to keep the deficit small. For Mobile, the Rams made nine of 14 shot attempts in the first, led by Miriam Oldarcre who scored six points in just two minutes from off the bench.
In the second quarter, the Wolf Pack of Loyola managed to outscore Mobile 24-20 to trail the Rams by just two at halftime. Both teams made eight shots from the floor in the second quarter, with Loyola finishing 7-for-10 from the free throw line in the quarter. Mobile made two threes and two free throws in the second, with Erica Jones pacing the offense with eight points to close out the first half. Mobile led 44-42 at the halftime break.
Coming out of halftime, both offenses once again tallied the same amount of field goals in a quarter, making seven shots each across the third. The Rams outscored Loyola 17-15 in the third to extend their lead to only four points entering the final quarter of regulation. Attempting to avoid what many considered an upset in the making, the Wolf Pack needed defense to step up against Mobile in the final 10 minutes.
In the fourth, Mobile's offense eventually proved to be too strong for the Loyola defense as the Rams put the game away for the team's 20th win of the season. For the second time in Saturday's game, Mobile tallied 24 points in a quarter, relying on eight made shots, four threes, and four free throws across the fourth. For Loyola, the Wolf Pack were held to just six made shots from the floor and 19 total points, eventually losing the game by nine. The Rams were led by Alanna Donaldson in the fourth, who finished the final quarter of the game with 11 points.
Mobile led Saturday's game against Loyola for over 36 minutes, trailing the Wolf Pack for just 1:49 in the first quarter. With now a 20-4 overall record, the Mobile coaching staff and roster will not consider Saturday's win an upset, despite what the rankings currently show. The Rams continue to make a case to the rest of the NAIA about receiving votes for the NAIA Women's Basketball Top 25.
Rams Fill Up the Box Score
As a team, Mobile shot 50% from the floor in the victory over the Wolf Pack. The Rams made 32 total shots, 10 of which were three-pointers, and finished 11-for-13 from the free throw line. In addition, Mobile out-rebounded Loyola 42-34, securing 12 offensive boards which led to 18 second chance points.
Alanna Donaldson collected a new career-high in the win, leading all players with 27 points. Donaldson shot 50% from the floor, making five threes, and added five rebounds to her totals. Erica Jones followed Donaldson with 23 points and seven rebounds and Braylee McMath recorded her first double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 assists. Miya Kimber tallied 10 rebounds and six points, while Miriam Oldarcre led Mobile's bench with six points.
The Rams' defense came up with nine steals, led by Donaldson, Jones, and White with two each. Loyola turned the ball over 14 times on Saturday, leading to 14 points off turnovers for Mobile.
Riding a High to the State of Georgia
Mobile is scheduled to return to action with two road conference games in Georgia next week, beginning with a matchup against Middle Georgia State on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 4:30 p.m. CT. Thursday's game will be played in Cochran, Ga.
Following the game against the Knights of Middle Georgia St., the Rams are set for a Saturday afternoon bout against Brewton-Parker College (Ga.) on Feb. 10 in Mount Vernon, Ga. Saturday's game is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT.
FOLLOW THE RAMS
For complete coverage of University of Mobile Athletics, follow the Rams on social media at /MobileRams (Facebook), @UMobileRams (Twitter), and @umobilerams (Instagram), or visit the official home of the University of Mobile Athletic Department at https://umobilerams.com/.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
