Preview: Loyola Maryland Greyhounds at American Eagles

WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Two Patriot League women’s basketball teams looking to halt slides will meet Wednesday night when the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds visit the American Eagles at Bender Arena.

Loyola Maryland (8-11 overall) enters having lost two straight, including a 54-45 defeat at Bucknell on Saturday. American (5-14) has dropped three of its last four, most recently a 70-58 home loss to Holy Cross.

The matchup is a quick rematch of a Dec. 31 contest in Baltimore, which the Greyhounds won 68-59. In that game, American’s Charlotte Tuhy scored 16 points with five rebounds, while Loyola’s Cristina Garcia contributed one rebound and one assist in 16 minutes off the bench.

Tuhy has emerged as a dominant force for the Eagles since. The forward is coming off a 16-point, 11-rebound performance against Holy Cross and recorded a staggering 22 points and 17 rebounds in a win at Colgate on Jan. 21. She has posted four double-doubles in her last six games.

For the Greyhounds, guard Cristina Garcia has seen increased minutes and production lately. She led Loyola with nine points in 30 minutes in the loss to Bucknell. Her role will be pivotal as Loyola seeks to reignite an offense that has averaged just 53 points over its last two games.

Both teams have struggled to find consistency in conference play. The Eagles have shown flashes, with three Patriot League wins, but rank near the bottom in scoring offense. The Greyhounds have been marginally better but are 1-2 in their last three league contests.

A key battle will be on the glass, where Tuhy’s rebounding prowess for American will test a Loyola frontcourt that allowed Bucknell to control the boards. The Greyhounds will aim for a better start after scoring only 17 first-half points in their last outing.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST Wednesday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.