Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 1/23/07 Section: Sports

Meghan Wood followed up her 16-point effort over Niagara with a second straight 16-point game as the Hounds took down Manhattan on Sunday. Loyola has won four straight against MAAC opponents and seven of eight overall.

The Loyola women's basketball team played shutdown defense and newcomer Vika Sholokhova put up 16 points en route to a 61-45 victory over Manhattan on Sunday. With their fourth win in a row, the Hounds improved to 11-7 (6-2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Over the break, the Hounds took down Manhattan and Siena on the road and returned home last week, throttling Niagara and Manhattan.

On Sunday, senior Jill Glessner, freshman Kaitlin Grant, and junior Mehan Wood set the tone early, leading the team in scoring. The Jaspers responded with a three-pointer from sophomore Annie McIntryle at the top of the key, but the Greyhounds would go on to set the tempo for most of the first half. The Hounds controlled the boards early, using them to get out in transistion and convert on several quick scores.

Seniors Brittany Dunn and Ebony Toliver were stalwarts on the defensive end, and on offense, Dunn set the attack with six assists while Toliver added four more. Wood and Sholokhova, who scored 16 points apiece, cleaned up on the glass. Wood went for a double-double, adding 11 rebounds to her 16-point performance.

Since gaining her eligibility, Sholokhova has added another dimension to a Greyhoud squad already exceeding expectations. Her outside scoring, passing, and great post play has already had an impact and will help come tournament time.

"Vika is very important to our team because she makes things happen," head coach Joe Logan said. "She is very hard to guard because she can shoot, pass, and play down low."

Leading by seven, the Greyhounds took all of the momentum into halftime as Dunn nailed a jumper at the buzzer to increase the lead to 10, 35-25.

In the second half, the Jaspers tried to deflate Loyola's momentum with another three from McIntryle, which cut the lead to 35-28. But Glessner took over the game, answering with a floater in the lane.

Wood and Grant continued to contribute offensively, and Loyola never let Manhattan back into the game.

Continued...

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