Feb. 22, 2007

Box Score

Detroit, Mich. - Freshmen Shannon Finnegan and Maggie McCloskey led five Loyola players in double figures with 15 points apiece as Loyola jumped out to a a big first-half lead and held on for a 73-61 win over Detroit tonight at Calihan Hall. Loyola snaps a four-game losing streak with the win and improves to 7-18 (5-9 Horizon) while the Titans fall to 4-24 (1-14) with the loss.

Finnegan and Jenna Real were the catalysts of a first-half run that saw Loyola open a 25-9 lead at the under eight-minute media timeout. A pair of Real free throws later in the half helped LU extend to a 35-16 bulge before the Titans scored the last five points of the half to make it 34-21 at intermission. Finnegan hit all five of her field goals in the period and surpassed her previous career-best in the opening 20 minutes with 10 points. Real was equally productive inside, also contributing 10 in the period.

After a McCloskey three-pointer gave LU a 40-21 lead in the early minutes of the second half, Detroit began to battle back. However, each time the Titans challenged, Loyola had an answer. Holding a 60-56 lead at the 3:06 mark, a pair of Elyse VanBogaert hoops inside and a steal and three-point play from Jennifer Juergens boosted the lead back to double figures and the Ramblers sealed it from the line, hitting 7-of-9 from the stripe in the last 90 seconds.

Finnegan and McCloskey were joined in double figures by Real (12 points), Marquise Hanser (11 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and VanBogaert, who scored eight of her 10 points in the second half.