Feb. 18, 2012

Box Score

Valparaiso, Ind. - Loyola's offense sputtered for the second consecutive game and Valparaiso took advantage, hitting 10 of its first 13 shots en route to a 69-46 win over the Ramblers this afternoon at the ARC in Valparaiso, Ind. Loyola, which is winless in 10 all-time trips to Northwest Indiana, drops to 11-15 (6-9 Horizon) while the Crusaders improve to 8-17 (4-10) with the win.

"I was disappointed with our energy and execution, especially in the first half," said head coach Eric Simpson. "We were a step slow on the defensive end and could never get into an offensive rtythm. It will be nice to have a full week of practice to get back to doing the things that we do well and prepare for UIC."

Loyola scored on its first two possessions of the game but the offense went stagnant and homestanding Valpo caught fire, going on a 23-4 run to open up a 26-8 lead midway through the half. The Ramblers struggled to make inroads against VU's zone defense while the Crusaders stayed hot on the offensive end, taking a 40-17 lead into intermission on a Laura Richards three-pointer with 19 seconds left. Loyola shot just 28% (7 of 25) in the opening period while Valpo knocked down 15-of-27 (56%) from the floor, including 6-of-12 from long distance.

The Ramblers came out with more energy in the second half but continued to struggle to find the range. Simone Law scored 10 straight LU points midway through the period to help Loyola get within 16 (58-42) but the Ramblers would get no closer, posting their second-lowest point total of the season.

Law scored all 12 of her points in the second half and added seven board to pace Loyola. Troy Hambric added eight points and six rebounds in support for LU, which finished the game shooting 32% overall and 3-of-20 (15%) from the three-point line.

Loyola gets a week to prepare for its trip to UIC next Saturday (Feb. 25) before closing out the regular season the following week with games against Green Bay and Milwaukee.