Loyack looking for win

The junior has finallyThe junior has finallyearned herself a placeThe junior has finallyearned herself a placein the starting lineup For two-and-a-half seasons, Patty Loyack watched from the bench. She waited for her opportunity as two of Penn's all-time great players, Shelly Bowers and Katina Banks put up numbers that can be found throughout the Penn record book. Following the graduation of Bowers and Banks, Loyack was ready to claim a starting spot. But a stress fracture in her back forced her to the bench once again. Now, in this lost season for the Penn team, Loyack has emerged as a starter and one of the more dependable scorers on the team. Still searching for their first win, Loyack and the Quakers travel to Harvard today, followed by a game against Dartmouth tomorrow. "Patty listened and learned when she was behind Banks and Bowers," Penn coach Julie Soriero said. "She understands the intensity level that is needed and what we are trying to accomplish on the court." More than anything else, it has been Loyack's dedication to the game that has allowed her to move into the starting spot. Loyack says the one aspect of Banks's and Bowers's games she tries to emulate most is their exemplary work ethic. "She is always one of the first ones in the gym and one of the last ones to leave," Soriero said. "She is always willing to listen to and work on what she needs to improve." Loyack relied on her desire to be a better player as she tried to bounce back from a disappointing freshman year. All hopes of contributing right away were erased when a stress fracture in her leg ended her season. Over the summer, in addition to practicing on her own, Loyack looked to join a league certified for Division I players. The only problem was that none existed in her hometown area. "Exeter [Pa.] is not too well-known for basketball," Loyack said. "So when I needed a sanctioned league to play in, I got together with the area directors to form one. Now other Division I players in the area have the opportunity to play in a summer league." Despite rebounding from her injury, Loyack still found herself in a backup role to Banks and Bowers, who were both seniors. She managed to see time in 18 games, averaging two points per contest. "When you are a backup, you accept that the starters will get most of the playing time," Loyack said. "It was frustrating, but I knew my time would come." Loyack claimed a spot in the Penn lineup two weeks ago and has done everything to indicate that it will be a permanent position. She has helped provide the Quakers with the scoring punch they so badly need, increasing her offensive output from two points a game to over seven as a starter. "Patty understands what we need from her," Soriero said. "And what we need is a threat from the perimeter." Loyack is always willing to look for her shot, something the other Quakers who have played at shooting guard this year have been reluctant to do. "I'm very confident in my shooting ability," Loyack said. "Whether I'm off or on, I'm still going to shoot." Soriero shares Loyack's confidence in her shot, despite the fact that Loyack is shooting under 30 percent from the field this season. At no time was Soriero's confidence more apparent than in the closing seconds of the Yale game, when Soriero designed a play for Loyack to attempt the tying three-pointer. Although the shot rimmed in and out, Soriero would probably make the same decision again. "Without hesitation I turned to Patty to try and tie Yale," Soriero said. Now as Penn tries to put a mark in the victory column for the first time this year, Loyack realizes she will be relied on both as a shooter and a second option as a ball-handler to break the presses that have given Penn trouble recently. "We still have a belief in ourselves and pride in our game," Loyack said. "We are looking to make it interesting for the other teams and to have other teams respect us." But Loyack did not wait two-and-a-half seasons to merely get respect from other teams. She waited to win.