Feb. 23, 2014
Postgame Comments | Box Score
CHICAGO - Troy Hambric scored a game-high 23 points and Ayrealle Beavers dished out a career-best 15 assists but visiting Drake connected on key three-point shots and free throws in the game's final minutes to defeat Loyola, 70-64, this afternoon inside Gentile Arena. The Bulldogs climb to 14-12 (8-7 Missouri Valley), while the Ramblers fall to 9-17 (5-9 Missouri Valley).
Lizzy Wendell buried a three to open the scoring, putting Drake on the board first. Beavers hit on a pair of free throws before Hambric scored her first two of the afternoon to give the Ramblers their first lead (4-3) at the 16:09 mark of the half. Back-to-back threes from Katie Faught and Bailey Farley pushed the margin to five (10-5) before Kyndall Clark, one of the top three-point shooters in the Valley, hit on her first trey of the afternoon to cut the Rambler lead to two. Farley answered back with another three prior to a Hambric jumper that gave Loyola its largest lead of the afternoon (15-8) with just under nine minutes gone.
Down seven, Drake scored 11 of the game's next 13 points, to surge in front (19-17) with 7:20 left in the half. The Ramblers responded, regaining the lead (27-24) on Farley's fourth three pointer of the half. A bucket from Clark sent the Ramblers into halftime up by one (27-26). Loyola shot over 45% (5-of-11) from beyond the three-point arc in the opening 20 minutes, while holding Drake, the league's top three-point shooting team, to just 25% (4-of-16).
Ashley Bartow quickly put Drake in front (28-27) on the Bulldogs' first possession of the second half as the two teams traded blows with neither team able to establish greater than a three-point edge prior to Bartow hitting on two free throws to stretch her team's lead to five (49-44) with 9:11 remaining in the half. The Ramblers quickly knotted the game back up a 52-52 after layups from Hambric and Cate Soane. Caitlin Ingle and Soane traded baskets on the next two possessions, tying the game back up (54-54) with 6:20 remaining.
Drake regained the lead (57-54) off another Clark three at the 5:23 mark. Hambric sliced the margin back down to one on Loyola's next trip down the floor before Carly Grenfell stretched the Bulldog lead to four (60-56) when she hit from distance with 3:20 left in the half. Loyola got back within one (60-59) but Clark came up big again, connecting on her third three pointer of the afternoon to extend the Drake advantage to four (63-59). A three from Faught brought Loyola back to within two (66-64) with 32 seconds remaining but the Bulldogs connected on four of their final six free throws to escape Chicago with a victory.
Joining Hambric in double figures were Farley and Soane, finishing with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Beavers' 15 assists easily surpass the junior's previous career-high of ten, which was set earlier this season against Dartmouth. Clark led all Drake scorers with 16 points.
The Ramblers return to action on Friday evening (Feb. 28) when they kick off their final road trip of the season against the Indiana State Sycamores. Tip-off is set for 6:05 p.m. (CT) from the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Ind.
