Stoffey keys run to life Loyola past Quakers, 62-52

One of the most prolific scorers in women's basketball history visited college basketball's most historic arena Friday night, and the result was, well, the stuff legends are made of. Loyola senior forward Patty Stoffey proved to be as good as advertised, exploding for 10 of her game-high 19 points in a decisive 24-2 second-half run to carry the Greyhounds past Penn 62-52 at the Palestra. For much of the night, it looked as if the Pottsville native might disappoint the large contingent of family and friends who made the trek to West Philly for a rare chance to see their local darling in action. Stoffey, the nation's top returning scorer, was held largely in check by Penn's defensive stopper, Katina Banks, whose quickness and athleticism frustrated Stoffey's deliberate game. "Stoffey has great moves inside," Banks said. "She tries to cut to the open space. My main objective was just to stay in front of her and keep her from ever touching the ball." But when Banks was whistled for her fourth personal foul at the 10-minute mark of the second half and took a seat on the bench, the floodgates opened. Banks' rear end had not yet hit the pine before Loyola coach Pat Coyle leapt up and called out her favorite play -- give it to her. Stoffey answered immediately by overwhelming Penn guard Shelly Bowers for a layup. Seven minutes later, the Greyhounds (11-3) had swallowed the Quakers' 42-31 lead, and staked themselves to an 11-point advantage of their own at 55-44. "I thought Katina did a great job defensively on Stoffey all night, but when she picked up her fourth foul, we had to do some things differently," Penn coach Julie Soriero said. "I think we make it a little too easy for her to catch the ball. If she catches the ball, she's going to score. "We broke down at a crucial spot, and Loyola found the kid who could make things happen for them. I credit Loyola's kids for getting her the ball, but I also credit Stoffey. She put them on her back, and gave them the momentum to carry and sustain them through that period." The Quakers (2-11) opened the game with the same defensive intensity and controlled offense they used to dissect Temple 65-29 Wednesday. Led by senior center Natasha Rezek on the inside and sharpshooting sophomore point guard Erica McCauley on the perimeter, Penn methodically built a 26-13 lead. Rezek scored eight of the Quakers first 13 points, while McCauley dished out four assists and knocked down two back-breaking treys during the stretch. But despite 18 first-half turnovers, Loyola closed the gap to 28-22 when Greyhounds senior forward Camille Joyner's layup completed a 9-2 run to close out the half. Penn rebuilt its lead early in the second half largely on the aggressive play of freshman forward Michelle Maldonado off the bench. Maldonado checked in with the Quakers battling to hold a six-point lead and proceeded to score Penn's next six points, capping off her personal crusade with a steal at midcourt and a breakaway layup. "The last couple of games Michelle has come in off the bench and really done a nice job," Soriero said. "Sometimes it's a quiet job, just in terms of rebounding. Tonight she seemed much more aggressive defensively. She got out on the wings, and did some really good things for us." Penn also got a solid effort from senior guard Shelly Bowers (nine points, five assists), who has looked much more comfortable since moving from the point to shooting guard. But as a team, the Quakers lacked consistency on the offensive end. "At times we looked a little lost," Soriero said. "At times we had a young team on the floor, and they could have responded better to Loyola's pressure and what we were trying to execute."