Jan. 16, 2007
Box Score
CHICAGO - Freshman Maggie McCloskey buried six three-pointers, including two in a critical 14-3 run late in the second half, as Loyola earned a 79-73, comeback win tonight in its final non-conference game of the season at the Jacoby Dickens Center. The Ramblers equal their win total from all of last season and improve to 4-13 while Chicago State slips to 5-13 with the loss.
Loyola made its push after a Zondranika Williams three-pointer gave Chicago State a 64-58 lead with 6:02 on the clock. McCloskey buried a three-pointer off an inbounds play to cut the deficit to three and Marquise Hanser buried a three from nearly the same spot on the next possession to draw the Ramblers even. After a Chandra Timberlake hoop gave the hosts the lead back, McCloskey wiggled free and knocked down another triple to put the Ramblers on top at the 4:34 mark. Jenna Real scored inside to bump the lead to three and split a pair from the line the next trip down to make it a 70-66 Rambler lead with 3:13 to play. The lead was still four when Timberlake scored inside to cut it to two, 73-71, just inside of one minute but Jennifer Juergens hit Hanser for a backdoor lay-up to put LU up 75-71 with 33 ticks left. Timberlake drilled two free throws to cut the lead to two with 26 seconds left but McCloskey stepped up and knocked down a pair from the stripe to make it a two-possession game again and Hanser iced it with two more charity tosses in the final seconds.
The rally came on the heels of a topsy-turvy first half in which late turnovers put the Ramblers in a hole heading into the locker room. The teams were tied seven times en route to a 25-all deadlock. The Ramblers went scoreless for four minutes, allowing Chicago State to take a lead, before McCloskey drilled consecutive threes to put Loyola back on top, 31-29, with just over four minutes left. However, the Ramblers turned it over six times the rest of the half, including three in the final minute that were all converted into layups, and the Cougars managed to take a 40-33 lead into intermission.
Loyola, again, was extremely efficient on the offensive end, shooting 50% or better for the third consecutive game. The Ramblers finished at a 56.3% clip while holding Chicago State to just 42% from the floor. In addition, after attempting just two free throws in the first half, the Ramblers worked the ball inside and finished 17-of-21 (.810) from the stripe for the game.
McCloskey was joined in double figures by Real (17 points), Emily Ponder (14) and Hanser (12). To underscore the quality of ball movement, Loyola recorded assists on 23 of its 27 field goals, led by Juergens who dished out a career-best nine dimes. Timberlake led the Cougars with 22 points and 10 rebounds, all on the offensive end.
Loyola returns to action on Saturday afternoon when it battles crosstown foe Illinois-Chicago at the Gentile Center. Tip-off from the Gentile Center is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
