Feb. 4, 2010

Box Score

Youngstown, Ohio - Elyse VanBogaert scored a game-high 18 points and became the 20th player in Loyola history to score 1,000 points as the Ramblers knocked off Youngstown State, 63-59, tonight at the Beeghly Center. Loyola snaps a two-game slide and moves to 11-10 (5-5 Horizon) while the Penguins drop to 0-21 (0-10).

Loyola got off to a hot start and opened an early 7-2 lead after two Brittany Boeke hoops. However, the Ramblers went cold and Youngstown State was able to get back in the game, opening a 13-10 lead midway through the half. Maggie McCloskey scored on a breakaway lay-up to break a nearly five-minute scoring drought and the basket jump-started an 11-2 LU run that gave the Ramblers a 21-15 edge. Instead of extending the lead, Loyola saw the Penguins stay in the game by getting to the free throw line but the Ramblers kept pushing and finally opened up a double-digit lead (31-21) late in the half on another Boeke hoop. The Penguins battled back again, however, and a Macey Nortey jumper in the final seconds cut the LU lead to just five (33-28) at intermission. Loyola shot 52% in the period and received a big lift from Monica Albano, who came off the bench to score nine first-half points.

A McCloskey three-pointer in the opening minute of the half stretched the Loyola lead to eight but the Ramblers were unable to pull away. Two Rachael Manuel free throws tied the game at 42 but hoops from McCloskey and Albano quickly put the Ramblers back up by five. Each time Loyola threatened to open up the game, Youngstown State came back and the Penguins forged a fifth tie, 59-59, on a Brandi Brown bucket with 2:32 left. After a couple empty possessions both ways, VanBogaert scored on an offensive rebound to give LU a 61-59 lead and set up a frantic finish, as Youngstown had several looks at the basket in but were repelled each time, the last coming on an Albano block in the lane and McCloskey hit two free throws to ice the game.

VanBogaert finished 9-of-15 from the floor and scored 12 of her 18 points in the second half, topping the 1,000-point mark with her first basket of the game. She also finished with six rebounds to move her within one carom of 500 for her career. Albano came up big off the bench, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks while McCloskey gave the Ramblers a third player in double figures as she finished with 10 points and a season-high nine assists.

Loyola wraps up its swing through Northeast Ohio with a Saturday afternoon game at Cleveland State.