New Orleans, La. – The Lady Crusaders fought until the end Monday night, but their remarkable run came to a close as Loyola held off a late surge to win 69–63. The loss snaps William Carey's incredible 57-game regular-season win streak and a 39-game conference win streak, a streak that stretched over two unforgettable years.
 
WCU came out firing. Shaneal Corpuz set the tone immediately, pouring in the Crusaders' first four points as both teams traded blows in a fast-paced opening quarter. A smooth jumper from Jenna Garriga put Carey ahead 14–10—the largest lead of the frame—before Loyola answered at the horn to cut it to 16–15.
 
The back-and-forth battle continued into the second, but the Lady Crusaders surged late thanks to key shots from Corpuz, Madelyn Ladner, and Charlie Gamberine. Loyola briefly took a 22–18 lead with six minutes left before WCU responded. Gamberine drilled a jumper, Corpuz followed with another, and Garriga pushed the lead to three.
 
Then came the highlight of the half: Gamberine pulled up for a deep three with just over a minute left, splashing it home to extend the WCU lead to 28–22. She later added two free throws to send Carey into the locker room up 30–24. Defensively, WCU held Loyola to just two field goals over the final five minutes of the half.
 
After the teams exchanged baskets early in the third quarter, Loyola caught fire, using a decisive 12–0 run to go ahead 38–34 with three minutes left. Corpuz snapped the scoring drought, but the Wolfpack answered immediately to preserve their lead. Alyssa Hillard pulled Carey within 40–38 in the final minute, yet a pair of Loyola free throws extended the deficit to 42–38 heading into the fourth.
 
Ladner opened the final quarter with a layup plus the foul to make it a one-point game, but the Lady Crusader offense again stalled, allowing Loyola to build a 53–43 advantage midway through the period. The Wolfpack extended the margin to 13, but the Lady Crusaders refused to fold. With under two minutes left, WCU began chipping away, slicing the deficit to 60–53 and applying pressure on both ends. WCU cut it to six in the final minute, but Loyola responded once more and restored a double-digit cushion to seal the win.
 
Shaneal Corpuz led the offense with 21 points while Madelyn Ladner added 18 points.
 
Carey is back in action on Thursday, January 29, as they head to Marietta, Ga. to take on Life University. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 pm.