Jan. 27, 2012
CHICAGO -
Loyola/UIC Game Notes in PDF Format
UIC (12-7, 5-3 Horizon) at Loyola (9-10, 4-4)
Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012
Gentile Arena - 2 p.m.
Quick Hits
- Loyola wraps up the first half of Horizon League play with a key matchup against crosstown rival UIC at Gentile Arena
- Today is the 59th meeting between the two Chicago teams with Loyola holding a slight 31-27 edge in the all-time series
- Loyola owns a 17-12 mark against the Flames in Rogers Park, including a 69-58 win here last season
- The win was one part of a season sweep by the Ramblers last season, as they also added a comprehensive 62-47 win at the UIC Pavilion. Remarkably, it was LU's first sweep of UIC since the 1991-92 season
- Loyola was well on its way to its fourth straight win last Saturday against Butler but the Ramblers were held without a field goal for the final nine minutes and Butler erased a 16-point deficit to escape with a 60-57 win
- One week after being named Horizon League Co-Player of the Week, Simone Law put together two more solid performances, averaging 20.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg in LU's two games
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 36-44 (.450) into today's action, including a 3-1 (.750) record against UIC.
Skube Solves Mystery of UIC
In addition to playing some of her best basketball of the season over the last two weeks, Abby Skube has a solid pedigree of success against UIC. Skube scored 17 second-half points to push LU to a win at the Pavilion in her breakout game as a freshman and averaged 17.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg in the two Rambler wins last year, including a 24-point, 14-rebound effort on the road. Skube has been terrific over the last two weeks, pitching in with 13.0 ppg and 7.3 rpg in 21.3 minutes per game off the bench, including a season-best 24-point performance in last Thursday's win over Valparaiso.
King Looks To Regain Her Crown
After sitting out last season to fulfill the NCAA residency requirement, Patrice King has made an impact in her first action 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. After a sizzling start, King has battled nagging injuries of late and is looking to regain that early-season form as the calendar closes in on February.
Dead On From Deep
Loyola's three-point shooting prowess has been well documented as the Ramblers have made a school-record 214 treys in each of the past two seasons. This season, Loyola is going for quality over quantity with terrific results. A terrific effort from Vanderbilt on Thursday night vaulted the Commodores past the Ramblers for the top spot on the national three-point field goal percentage list entering play tonight.
Ain't It Grand? Albano 129 Short of Milestone
Monica Albano has a chance to become the 21st member of Loyola's 1,000-point club this season. The high-scoring guard enters tonight's game with 871 career points and would need to average 11.7 ppg over LU's next 11 games to become the first Rambler to reach the milestone as a junior since Tracy Hoffmann (1999-2003).
Hambric At Home On The Road
As mentioned earlier, sophomore Troy Hambric has developed into a key member of Loyola's nucleus for both this season and years to come. While most younger players play better in the comforts of their home gym, Hambric has been just the opposite. The Detroit native has been outstanding away from the Windy City, averaging 13.6 ppg while shooting 52% in LU's 10 away games but managing just 6.4 ppg on 34% shooting in the supposedly friendly confines of home.
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.
