Nov. 30, 2006
Box Score
CHICAGO - Visiting Valparaiso scored the last seven points of the game and 10 of the last 12 to rally past Loyola tonight, 77-74, at the Gentile Center. Jenna Real put together her second consecutive strong game (17 points, 11 rebounds) to lead the Ramblers, who fall to 0-6 on the season. Valparaiso improves to 4-2 with the win.
"We did not execute when we needed to down the stretch," said head coach Shannon Reidy. "We were out of sync on each of the last two possessions and we had a turnover and missed shot to show for it. It is frustrating to lose and we need to go out and take the bull by the horns and go get a win."
After a strong first half that saw the Ramblers take a 42-38 lead into intermission, Loyola came out of the gates slowly in the second half, missing its first eight shots as Valparaiso scored the first seven points of the period to take a three-point lead. A pair of Real free throws got LU on the board and the teams traded hoops over the next four minutes. After a Carrie Myers three-pointer gave Valpo a 52-48 lead, Loyola quickly answered with hoops by Shannon Finnegan and Marquise Hanser to pulled even and the game remained tied to 58-all after Jennifer Juergens hoop. Juergens drove the lane for another bucket to give LU a 60-59 lead and the Ramblers had two chances to extend the lead, but they missed three of four free throws and settled for a 61-59 edge with 6:42 to play. Hanser drilled a big three-pointer from the right wing moments later to give LU a 66-63 lead and started a 90-second stretch where she scored nine straight LU points, the last two coming on a lay-up from a Real feed to give the Ramblers a 72-67 lead with 3:52 on the clock. Loyola still led by four (74-70) on a Real lay-in inside but Agnieszka Kulaga drained a huge three-pointer from the left corner to pull Valpo within a point and, after a defensive stop, wiggled free for a runner to give the Crusaders a 75-74 lead with 1:10 to play. Real missed inside on the ensuing trip, but Hanser kept the possession alive with an offensive rebound, only to see it end with a turnover. Betsy Reitema hit 1-of-2 from the stripe to make it a two-point game but Tamra Braun rejected Juergens inside and hit one free throw to account for the final margin.
The second-half dramatics came after a first half defined by big runs. Valpo, which hit its first seven field goals including three from downtown, reeled off 14 consecutive points to take a 21-7 lead after just five minutes. However, Loyola would lock up defensively, and reeled off 17 of the next 21 points, capped by a pair of Elyse VanBogaert hoops, to close within one, 25-24, with 8:01 on the clock. After Valpo re-opened its lead to five, the Ramblers kept coming, going on a 14-2 run to take a 39-32 lead at the 1:50 mark. Real scored the first four points of the spurt before Jessica Hylton pumped in seven straight to highlight the blitz as Loyola eased to its four-point halftime lead.
Real received support from Juergens (15 points, eight rebounds) and Hylton (10 points) while Hanser, who missed eight of her first nine shots, shook off the slow start to finish with 13 points. Braun led the Crusaders with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks while Sarah Ott chipped in with 17 points and six boards.
Loyola goes back on the road for the month of December, heading to Peoria for a Sunday afternoon (Dec. 3) contest at Bradley. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
