Sloppy Second Quarter Costs Women’s Basketball in 57-47 Loss to Austin Peay 

Loyola women’s basketball ended their non-conference schedule with a 57-47 home loss to Austin Peay State University. The Ramblers were led by 15 points and eight rebounds from second-year forward Brooklyn Vaughn, while second-year guard Anovia Sheals contributed 15 points for the Governors.

Sheals opened the game with a layup, which was instantly met with a layup from first-year guard and forward Alex-Anne Bessette. Bessette was fouled on the next possession, tacking on two free throws before Sheals added a tip-in, followed by another layup from both as the teams dueled for the first six points.

Vaughn tipped in two and added a layup on a later possession to make it 9-6. Both offenses went freezing cold from there, as the only point scored in the remainder of the quarter was a Governor layup from third-year guard Kyra Perkins, as Loyola led 9-8 after a quarter.

Perkins opened the second with a jumper to give Austin Peay the lead. Third-year Governor guard Veronaye Charlton added a free throw on a Bessette foul before third-year guard Rosalie Mercille drained two at the stripe to tie it at 11. First-year Governor guard Jim’Miyah Branton scored on back-to-back possessions with a jumper and layup off a Loyola turnover. 

Graduate guard JaNiah Powell caught fire for Austin Peay, hitting three straight 3-pointers off two Loyola turnovers as the Ramblers found themselves sitting in a 24-11 deficit. 

Third-year guard Audrey Deptula and Mercille fought back with threes of their own and Kinas added a free throw, but a Newell jumper and Perkins free throw gave the Governors a 27-18 lead at halftime

Austin Peay opened the third quarter with a layup from third-year forward Lameria Thomas, which was matched by a Vaughn layup. Charlton made another layup for the Governors before Kinas cut into the lead with a three. 

Loyola’s defense locked down Austin Peay for nearly four minutes as they built back into the game with a Kinas jumper and Vaughn adding two free throws and a layup to make it 31-29.

Charlton ended the run with a layup and 3-pointer, outmatching a three-point play from Bessette. Sheals finished an and-one on a layup as Vaugh added back-to-back buckets with a layup and floater to cut the lead back down to three. 

Fourth-year forward Maeva Fotsa finished a lay-in, and Shelas hit one of two at the line as Austin Peay entered the fourth leading 42-36.

Fotsa and Branton started the fourth with consecutive makes in the paint, as Loyola was held off the board for nearly two-and-a-half minutes before Deptula made all three attempts at the charity stripe. Vaughn continued the rally with a jumper, and Mercille capped it with a 3-pointer to make it 46-44 with just over five minutes left.

Three straight layups —  one for Branton and two for Sheals — began to put the game out of reach for Loyola with two minutes left after going scoreless for over three minutes. 

Mercille connected on another 3-pointer with just under two to play for the last Rambler basket. Charlton and Thomas tacked on two free throws apiece, as Sheals put the nail in the coffin of a 57-47 Governors victory.

Loyola begins their A10 conference schedule next, hosting Davidson College Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. for a New Year’s Eve matchup. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.