Box Score
JACKSON, Miss. – For the second time in as many weeks, the Belhaven women's basketball team defeated Loyola in the waning moments of a game. The Blazers trailed by one point with eight seconds remaining when Ashley Wakefield made two free throws to give them a 51-50 victory.

The Southern States Athletic Conference picked the right venue to be at on Thursday evening, as both games played on the floor of Rugg Arena proved to be absolute nail-biters.

The Blazers found themselves knotted in another defensive battle with the feisty Wolfpack early in the first half. Despite opening a quick lead, Loyola (11-14, 8-9 SSAC) battled back with every punch that the Blazers threw their way.

The Wolfpack took a 21-19 lead into the final seconds of the first half, but Sarah Carr found Alisha Rayborn cutting behind the defense as time was dwindling down. Rayborn cut through the defense and laid up a shot that found the bottom of the net as the clock turned red.

Belhaven (13-15, 10-7 SSAC) and Loyola went to the locker rooms tied at 21 point apiece.

Wakefield, Carr and TaShayla Steede each scored two points in the midst of a 6-0 run to start the half for the Blazers. The lead would balloon to as many as seven points in the final ten minutes of the game, but Loyola put together a series of small runs to get the game back within striking distance.

The Blazers continued to hold a slight edge until the 26 second mark when Rebekah Greer hit a three-pointer from the extended elbow on the left side of the floor. The shot gave the Wolfpack their first lead of the half.

Belhaven called a timeout after the made shot to devise a plan for the final shot of the game. Either way, the possession would win or lose the game for the Blazers.

Rayborn and Wakefield circled the ball around the arch to take the clock down under ten seconds. Wakefield then made a move towards the basket from the right side of the floor and drew a foul from Janeicia Neely, the leading scorer for the Wolfpack.

Down one point, Wakefield stepped to the line with a chance to send the Wolfpack home with a loss and clinch the third spot in the SSAC West. The first free-throw attempt rattled in with ease, tying the game at 51 all.

With 8.2 seconds showing just above the basket Wakefield was aiming towards, she calmingly released a shot that hit nothing but the net and reclaimed the lead for Belhaven.

Loyola's Neely dribbled the ball off of her ankle following the inbounds pass to secure the exhilarating victory for the Blazers.

The home victory was the final time the five seniors will play on the court at Rugg Arena and they were able to close that door of their careers with a victory. The six Belhaven seniors are: Rayborn, Wakefield, Carr, Kara Bland, Sierra Cavitt and Tiara Buckley. Due to injury, Buckley was the only one of the six players to not play in the contest.

Wakefield led the Blazers with 13 points, with Rayborn, Steede, and Erika Leflore all chipping in 10 points. Leflore and Steede were only a rebound away from a double-double, each pulling down nine boards.

Neely led Loyola with 14 points followed by Berner and Greer with eight points each. 

Belhaven will wrap up their regular season campaign on Saturday afternoon against Faulkner in Montgomery, Alabama. Depending on what happens in conference games on Saturday in the SSAC, the Blazers will play either Southern Polytechnic or Coastal Georgia in the first round of the tournament.