Dec. 9, 2011
Loyola/Northwestern Game Notes in PDF Format
Northwestern (6-1) at Loyola (4-4)
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Gentile Arena - Chicago, Ill.
Quick Hits
- Loyola looks to bounce back from a disappointing loss to La Salle on Thursday night when it hosts Northwestern this afternoon at Gentile Arena
- This afternoon is the 20th meeting between the two teams, separated by just five miles along Sheridan Road, with Northwestern winning each of the first 19 contests
- After a seven-year hiatus from 1999-2006, this is the fourth meeting between the teams in the last five seasons
- Patrice King scored 13 points and Monica Albano added 10 in her return from an ankle injury but the Ramblers scored a season-low 45 points in a 48-45 loss to La Salle on Thursday night
- This afternoon is Loyola's fifth game this season against teams from the state of Illinois. The Ramblers have gone 3-1 in the previous four with the only loss coming at DePaul last Saturday
- Today's game also features Loyola head coach Eric Simpson facing his alma mater. Simpson, who was a member of the Wildcats' men's basketball team, graduated from Northwestern in 1994
- Proceeds from ticket sales to today's game will go to the Danny Did Foundation. The Danny Did Foundation was founded by Mike and Mariann Stanton in 2010 to prevent deaths caused by seizures. Mike is a Northwestern graduate while Mariann (nee Murtaugh) is still second on Loyola women's basketball's all-time assists list, graduating from Loyola in 1992
Head Coach Eric Simpson
Entering his third season at the helm, Eric Simpson has assembled a dynamic mix of talented returnees and hungry newcomers as the Ramblers look to move up the Horizon League standings. Simpson put together the best season of any first-year Loyola coach in 2009-10, leading the Ramblers to a 15-15 mark with a senior-laden squad, He guided LU to 12 wins last year while integrating a new group of players, a group which returns almost intact (four starters) this season. Simpson graduated from Northwestern in 1994 with a degree in history and brings a career record of 31-38 (.449) into today's action. He is 0-1 all-time against his alma mater.
Big Challenge Against Big Ten
As noted earlier, Loyola is winless in 19 previous meetings against Northwestern. The record is indicative of the Ramblers success against Big Ten Conference teams as a whole, as LU is just 3-39 (.071) all-time against the current members of the conference. What's more, Loyola has lost 25 straight games against Big Ten foes dating back to a 72-55 win over Wisconsin inside the old Alumni Gym on Feb. 1, 1987.
It's Good To Be The King
After sitting out last season to fulfill the NCAA residency requirement, Patrice King has dazzled in her first month as a Rambler. King played two seasons at Ball State, making 11 starts and averaging 5.9 ppg in 63 games, before heading back to a city that she once called home. She played three years of high school basketball at Marian Catholic on Chicago's southside before moving to St. Louis, Mo. for her final season, where she was runner-up for Miss Basketball in the state of Missouri. Below are some of her season highlights.
- Scored in double figures in 7 of Loyola's first 8 games, including four games of over 20 pts (career high 26 points last Saturday at DePaul)
- Averaging 19.8 ppg over last five games
- Recorded at least one steal in all 8 games and has two or more steals in 6 contests
- Third in the Horizon League in scoring (17.8 ppg), 1st in 3-point field goal percentage (50%), tied for 4th in steals (2.25 spg) and tied for 10th in assists (3.0 apg)
They Shoot, They Score, They Win
When looking at basketball through its most basic lens, the game boils down to a team's ability to score the ball. Loyola shot just 34% in Thursday night's loss to La Salle, dropping the Ramblers to 1-27 (.036) under Simpson when they shoot a lower percentage than their opponent. On the flip side, Loyola is 30-11 (.732) when boasting a higher shooting percentage.
Albano Returns To Lineup
After missing the previous three games with an ankle injury, junior Monica Albano returned to Loyola's lineup for the La Salle game. A Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team selection, Albano had been playing terrific basketball prior to the setback, averaging 20.0 ppg and 6.7 rpg over her last three games including the 13th 20-point game of her career, a season-high 23-point performance in the Ramblers' win over Southern Illinois. However, she was a bit rusty against the Explorers, finishing with 10 pts (4-11 FGs, 1-6 FTs) in 31 minutes.
Samplawski Stands Out As Stand In
While Loyola certainly missed Monica Albano during her three-game, injury-related absence, senior Lisa Samplawski stepped up to try and fill some of the void. Making her first three starts of the season, Samplawski averaged 13.0 ppg, knocking down 9 of 17 (.529) three-pointers. She posted a season-high 19 points against Akron and added 12 more in the Ramblers' win over San Francisco for the the 10th and 11th double-digit scoring games of her career. Interestingly enough, she had reached double figures only one other time as a starter (vs. UWM during her freshman season) prior to the games in Seattle (Akron, USF). She continued her solid play on Thursday night, knocking down a pair of three-pointers and finishing with eight points and two steals in the loss to La Salle.
Sign Em Up!
Head coach Eric Simpson and his staff signed three recruits during the early signing period. Guards Taylor Johnson (Lincoln-Way East), Becca Smith (South Elgin) and Erin Thomas (Richmond Burton) all put pen to paper on their National Letter of Intent. The trio will be eligible for competition for the 2012-13 season.
