Great performances from Patty Stoffey became routine long ago. Last night, the best player in Loyola women's basketball history found yet another way to be extraordinary.
Stoffey, the senior forward who seems to set a record each night she steps on the floor, scored a game-high 35 points to lead the Greyhounds to an 86-74 victory over visiting Manhattan before 675.
In the process, Stoffey set her 15th school record, and this mark was the tallest of all. By making a layup with 14:52 left in the game, she became the all-time leading scorer in Loyola basketball history, men's and women's combined.
Coming into the game, she trailed only Jim Lacy, who scored 2,199 points for the Greyhounds from 1945 to 1949. Forty-six years later, Lacy, who still lives in the area, was at Reitz Arena to see his record fall.
When Stoffey got the record, the game was stopped temporarily. After her teammates mobbed Stoffey near midcourt, Lacy walked out to present her with a commemorative game ball and a dozen roses. The beaming pair then posed for photographs.
"It was a thrill to see a young lady break the record, and I'm glad she broke it here, where I scored most of my points," said Lacy, who never had seen Stoffey play. "That girl is good, a really good, all-around basketball player. Her ability to run up and down the floor, her foul shooting. She could have scored 15 more points if she wasn't so unselfish."
Stoffey collected her points in typical fashion -- battling through double teams inside for tough baskets, working relentlessly to -- get to the foul line, making jump shots look automatic.
Stoffey hit 13 of 19 shots from the field and converted nine of 10 free throws. She recorded her fifth 30-point game of the season. Her career scoring total stands at 2,216.
When the Greyhounds travel to Fairfield tomorrow, Stoffey will need just five points to pass the late Renie Amoss, who at Goucher College became the state's all-time leading women's basketball scorer two years ago.
"She does it the old-fashioned way. She doesn't shoot threes," Loyola coach Pat Coyle said of Stoffey. "It's a treat every day to watch your best player work as hard as she does in practice. There's never going to be another kid like her around here. She just does it all. She's unbelievable."
The Greyhounds (13-6, 4-4) held onto fourth place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference because Stoffey dissected the Jaspers (6-16, 2-8) every way imaginable. She grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and had five assists, four blocks and three steals. She committed only two turnovers. And she did it while playing all 40 minutes.
In the second half, Stoffey scored 10 of Loyola's first 20 points to help the Greyhounds take a 62-53 advantage with 12:12 left. But the Jaspers, behind Gina Somma and a pressing defense, cut the margin to 72-70 with 3:25 to go.
Suddenly, things were looking similar to the first meeting between these teams. Three weeks ago, Manhattan scored the last 16 points to come from behind and win by 11. Last night, however, Stoffey refused to allow a repeat.
"It's like I'm thinking, 'C'mon, guys, get me the ball, and if I miss, you can put the loss on my shoulders,' " Stoffey said. "I think they have enough confidence in me to know that the ball is going in, or I'm going to get fouled."