With a win tonight, the LoyolaCollege women?s basketball team would improve to 2-2 this season against in-state schools. But for that to happen, the Greyhounds need to pull a major upset by knocking off defending NCAA champion Maryland, the top-ranked team in the country.
Loyola (4-5) will have home-court advantage and expects a raucous crowd to pack 3,000-seat Reitz Arena with hopes of handing the Terps (12-0) their first loss of the season.
Maryland holds a 12-3 advantage in the all-time series against Loyola, including the last six contests. The latest of those victories came Nov. 30, 2004, when the Terps won, 77-36. Still, the Greyhounds feel they are primed for an upset run less than a season after they advanced to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference final.
“This is definitely a chance of a lifetime,” Loyola senior guard Jill Glessner said. “Having lost five seniors from last year?s team, we got off to a rough start. Now, we?ve been playing much better. Maryland?s going to have a big height advantage, so we are going to have to focus a great deal on limiting them in the low post.”
Loyola enters tonight?s game playing some of its best basketball of the season, with three wins in its last four games, including a 70-59 victory at Rider on Dec. 10. Glessner leads Loyola offensively by averaging 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game.
Maryland is playing its first game in 11 days after beating Temple, 77-66. Five Maryland players reached double-figures in that victory, which extended the team?s winning streak to 18 games dating back to last season. All of Maryland?s expected starters are averaging at least 10 points a game, including junior forward Crystal Langhorne, who contributes a team-high 14.9 points and 8.2 rebounds a game.
“It?s a credit to [Maryland coach] Brenda Frese to be willing to come and play at our house because not everyone in her position would do the same thing,” Loyola coach Joe Logansaid. “We have to limit their opportunities at getting easy baskets while also keeping them off the free-throw line. We know this will only help us prepare for conference play and that, at home, anything is possible.”
