Feb. 28, 2009

Box Score

CHICAGO - Junior Elyse VanBogaert finished with 19 points and eight rebounds but Cleveland State (18-10, 12-4 Horizon) used a 25-4 edge in second-chance points to escape with a 67-62 win over Loyola (8-18, 3-13) this afternoon on Senior Day at the Gentile Center.

The game was tight all the way but it was the visitors who played from the lead in the early going. A Jessica Roque three-pointer gave the Vikings a 13-8 just over five minutes into the game and Loyola faced a 16-12 deficit before it was finally able to string some baskets together.

Maggie McCloskey fed Lisa Samplawski for a fast-break basket to start a 10-2 LU run - capped by a McCloskey three-ball from a Samplawski feed - that put the hosts in front 22-18 at the 7:11 mark. Another McCloskey triple later brought the lead to five and a three-point play minutes later from VanBogaert helped the Ramblers open their largest lead of the half, 31-24, with 3:17 on the clock. Cleveland State rattled off the next five points to pull within a deuce but two Keisha Collins free throws gave Loyola a 33-29 lead at intermission.

Loyola shot 52% (12 for 23) in the half compared to just 34% for Cleveland State. However, the Vikings pulled down 13 offensive rebounds in the half, using a 12-0 edge in second-chance points to stay close.

A Kailey Klein three-pointer and two Dominique Butler free throws quickly erased Loyola's halftime lead but a pair of McCloskey free throws and a VanBogaert bucket put LU back on top. After essentially trading hoops for a six-minute stretch, a Butler jumper helped CSU move out to a 49-46 lead with just over eight minutes left.

Loyola responded immediately, using baskets from VanBogaert, Jessica Hylton and Collins to move ahed by three at the 7:09 mark. Two VanBogaert free throws later made it a 56-55 LU lead with 3:38 left and the Ramblers held a 60-59 advantage with 1:29 on the clock after an elbow jumper from Hylton. However, Stephaine Crosley fed Klein for baskets on two straight possessions to put the Vikings up 63-60 with 37 seconds to play. VanBogaert had a good look on a three-pointer but it would not stay down and CSU knocked in four free throws over the final 16 seconds to account for the final margin.

VanBogaert followed up her 23-point effort on Thursday with another terrific offensive performance, knocking down 8-of-12 from the floor for her 19 points. McCloskey joined her in double figures, finishing with 10 points, while Brittany Boeke (nine points) and Collins (eight points, five assists) also contributed.

Loyola wraps up the regular season next week on the road. Its two-game swing begins with a Thursday night game at Wright State.