March 5, 2009

Box Score

Dayton, Ohio - Wright State jumped out to an early lead and Loyola struggled to find its way back as the Ramblers dropped a 64-44 decision to the Raiders tonight at the Nutter Center. Loyola drops to 8-19 (3-14 Horizon) while Wright State improves to 13-15 (9-8).

After Maggie McCloskey got the Ramblers on the board first, Loyola struggled find a rhythm offensively as missed shots and turnovers proved costly. Wright State reeled off 13 straight to grab a 13-2 lead and led by as many as 19 (31-12) in the opening period. Loyola was able to string together a couple of hoops down the stretch, drawing to within 31-17 at halftime after a McCloskey three-pointer and a Jessica Hylton basket in the final minute.

Hylton and McCloskey helped Loyola stay close in the early stages of the second period but the Raiders were able to extend the lead to 22 midway through the period and they cruised from there.

Wright State was relentless on the glass all night, outrebounding the Ramblers 48-29 for the game, including 23 on the offensive end. As a result, the Raiders enjoyed a 46-8 edge in points in the paint, the story of the game.

McCloskey knocked down four treys en route to a team-high 14 points while Elyse VanBogaert contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Keisha Collins pitched in with seven points, five rebounds and four assists.