Jan. 20, 2011
Box Score
CHICAGO - Host Loyola had a chance to tie in the final seconds but could not convert and Butler held on for a 64-60 win over the Ramblers tonight at the Gentile Center. The Ramblers drop to 8-9 (2-4 Horizon) with their third straight loss while Butler maintains its perfect Horizon League start, moving to 12-6 (6-0).
Consecutive three-pointers from Ellen Ayoub and Abby Skube gave the Ramblers a 12-9 lead after seven minutes and the teams went back and forth for the majority of the period. Butler's Chloe Hamilton capped a 10-2 run with a basket to give BU a 21-16 lead but Loyola battled back and a put-back from Troy Hambric closed out a 7-0 response that put the home team back on top. Hambric grabbed another offensive rebound and was hacked with 0.7 left in the half and the freshman drilled a pair from the stripe to give LU a 29-27 lead heading to halftime.
Butler used a 9-0 early in the second half to grab a 42-34 lead as Loyola got sloppy with the basketball. However, the Ramblers dug in and got right back in the game, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to one (45-44) on a Monica Albano three-pointer at the 9:41 mark. A Lyndsey Booker jumper moments later gave LU the lead back (48-47) but Loyola found itself in foul trouble early in the half and Butler took advantage, repeatedly getting to the free throw line. A pair of Brittany Bowen free throws gave Butler a 55-50 lead with just over five minutes left and BU maintained that lead after two Alyssa Pittman foul shots at the 1:21 mark. Albano scored to cut the deficit to three and, after a stop, Ayoub scored in the paint to make it a one-point game (61-60) with 32 seconds left. Pittman split a pair at the line to make it a two-point game but the Ramblers could not get the tying bucket to fall and Pittman sealed the win with a pair from the line with 1.2 seconds left for the final margin.
Loyola shot a solid 48% from the floor for the game while holding Butler to just 35% shooting. However, Butler grabbed 18 offensive rebounds that led to a 24-6 advantage in second chance points and outscored the Ramblers 20-7 from the free throw line to make up the difference.
Albano scored 14 points to lead the way for LU. Ayoub pitched in with 13 while Hambric added eight in 11 minutes off the bench.
Loyola looks to get back on the winning track on Saturday afternoon when it hosts Valparaiso in a 12:30 p.m. start at the Gentile Center.
