There was a stretch in the second half of yesterday's women's game between Loyola and Towson during which both teams had chances to seize control.

There were five lead changes in the middle 10 minutes of the second half, and neither team led by more than three points. But neither the Tigers, seeking their first win in five games this season, nor the Greyhounds, trying to extend a three-game winning streak, seemed willing to step forward and take over.

That changed when Loyola senior guard Shontrese Smith shook off an afternoon-long slump to score 10 of her team's last 20 points, helping the Greyhounds assert themselves and come away with a 55-50 win before 328 at Towson Center.

Smith had struggled with 2-for-9 shooting in the first half, but she hit five field goals and three free throws after halftime to finish with a team-high 17 points.

Loyola coach Candy Cage "just kept saying to let the game come to me," Smith said. "I think I was trying to force it a little bit in the first half, and I just calmed down and just did what I was good at."

Smith's late-game revival helped erase a monster first half from her counterpart shooting guard, Towson senior Mia Chapman. The Tigers' leading scorer, she stung the Greyhounds (5-3) with 16 first-half points - including 4-for-9 from three-point range - to help build a 28-25 halftime lead.

Towson (0-5) kept that lead for almost five minutes after the break and was tied as late as the 6:45 mark. But just as in their loss to Duquesne last Saturday, the Tigers couldn't hold on. They led that game for 38 minutes before losing, 41-38.

Said Towson coach Joe Mathews yesterday: "We held it together for quite a while and got down toward the latter part of the second half, but we just didn't get enough quality shots and the ones we got we just didn't knock down."

Chapman (game-high 21 points) was much quieter in the second half, thanks in large part to Cage's decision to switch responsibility for her from Smith to junior guard Lindsay Cobb. It worked, as Cobb held Chapman to five second-half points.

"I thought we picked up the defense in the second half, and I always believe the offense will follow," Cage said. "We picked up the defensive pressure, we refocused, and we got out of here alive."

LOYOLA-Dessart Mager 1-1 4-6 6, Mitchell 3-7 1-2 9, Netherton 1-7 0-0 2, Cobb 2-4 0-0 5, Smith 7-23 3-3 17, Valderas 2-2 0-0 4, Harrington 0-0 0-0 0, Scherle 1-2 6-9 8, Kelleher 0-0 0-0 0, Poole 0-0 0-0 0, Troupe 1-2 2-2 4. Totals 18-48 16-22 55. TOWSON-Talbot 3-4 0-0 6, Fazlic 1-1 0-0 2, Jones 1-5 1-3 3, Rose 2-2 0-1 5, Chapman 8-17 1-2 21, Haefner 0-2 0-0 0, West 2-6 1-2 6, Hopkins 1-2 1-2 3, Gaston 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 20-41 4-10 50. Half: Towson, 28-25. 3-point goals-Loyola 3-5 (Cobb 1-1, Mitchell 2-3, Troupe 0-1), Towson 6-15 (Rose 1-1, West 1-2, Chapman 4-11, Haefner 0-1). Fouled out-Chapman. Rebounds-Loyola 33 (Dessart Mager 9), Towson 26 (Jones 6). Assists-Loyola 12 (Smith 4), Towson 11 (Chapman 5). Total fouls-Loyola 14, Towson 18. A-328.