Nov. 14, 2006
Box Score
CHICAGO - Loyola had its chances in the second half but could not get over the hump in a 77-66 loss to Illinois State tonight at the Gentile Center. The Ramblers fall to 0-2 with the loss while the Redbirds get their first win of the year and improve to 1-1 on the young season.
"We are right there, on the cusp, but it is the little things that are setting us back right now," said head coach Shannon Reidy. "Everytime we made a run they took advantage of a little mistake and those add up. But we have played, and competed, with two big and experienced teams and we have not backed down and battled until the end. It is a process and we are going to keep getting better and learning from these games."
Loyola opened the game strong on both ends, forcing missed shots and getting its transition game going. After ISU's Kenyatta Shelton scored the first hoop of the game, the Ramblers reeled off 12 of the next 14 points, capped by layups from Jessica Hylton and Emily Ponder, to take a 12-4 lead into the first media timeout. Loyola hit six of its first nine field goals attempts while the Redbirds started just 1-of-6 from the floor but Illinois State got it together on the offensive end. Seven straight ISU points sliced the deficit to one but the Ramblers were able to maintain their lead, extending to a 19-15 edge on a Hylton three-pointer at the 11:07 mark. However, Maggie Krick answered with a three-ball of her own, kickstarting a 13-2 run that saw the Redbirds open up a 29-21 lead at the under-eight media timeout. A Marquise Hanser three-pointer and a hoop from Jana Lucas cut the deficit to three and the teams traded baskets at a furious pace over the next three minutes before a short jumper from Krick in the waning seconds of the half gave the visitors a 45-35 lead at the break. After the slow start, Illinois State hit 19 of its final 25 from the floor to finish at .645 (20-for-31) from the field for the half while the Ramblers shot a respectable .471 in the opening 20 minutes.
Both teams dug in defensively to start the second half and, after a Nicolle Lewis hoop to open the period, the Ramblers were slowly able to chip away at their deficit. After not attempting a free throw in the first half, the Ramblers were able to get the ball down low early in the second, and four Jenna Real free throws helped a 10-0 Loyola run over a three-minute span. A Maggie McCloskey three-pointer capped the spurt and pulled LU within two (47-45), but Krick hit another three-pointer moments later that made it an eight-point game (53-45) again with 14:17 to play. Lucas answered with a trey and McCloskey fed Ponder for another hoop that pulled LU within one, 53-52. Loyola had three chances to take the lead, but two turnovers and a missed shot erased those opportunities and a conventional three-point play from Krick, again, pushed the lead back to eight. The lead fluctuated between six and 10 the rest of the way, as the Ramblers just could not get the critical stop or basket.
The second half saw a major drop-off in offensive production, as Loyola hit just 8-of-26 (.308) from the floor and Illinois State connected on only 11-of-36 (.306) field goal attempts.
Real's team-high 14 points came on only three field goal attempts, as she went 10-for-10 from the stripe in the second half. Despite an off-night shooting the ball, Hanser also cracked double figures with 10 points on 4-of-15 from the floor. McCloskey narrowly missed her first collegiate double-double, finishing with nine points and 10 assists.
Loyola kicks off a stretch where it plays nine of its next 10 games away from the Gentile Center on Saturday (Nov. 18) with a 2 p.m. game against Illinois in Champaign.
