March 2, 2014
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. - Troy Hambric led three Ramblers in double-figures with a game-high 20 points but Illinois State drained 26 free throws in the second half as it rallied from a five-point halftime deficit to defeat Loyola, 69-61, this afternoon at Redbird Arena in Normal, Ill. The Redbirds even their conference record at 8-8 (9-17 overall), while the Ramblers slide to 5-11 in Valley play (9-19 overall).
Hambric got her first two of the afternoon on Loyola's first possession of the game to give the visiting Ramblers a brief lead (2-0). Illinois State responded with the next four to grab their first advantage of the game (4-2) as both teams struggled on the offensive end in the game's opening minutes.
An Octavia Crump score at the 11:34 mark gave the homestanding Redbirds a 13-10 lead. Loyola scored the next seven, with five coming from Taylor Nazon, to surge in front by four (17-13). The Ramblers would lead for the rest of the half, building the lead to as many as eight before Lindsay Smith buried a three to cut the margin to five (26-21) at halftime. Loyola held Illinois State to under 27% (8-for-30) from the field in the opening stanza.
Both teams came out of their respective locker rooms firing. The Redbirds, playing in front of a vocal Senior Day crowd, scored the half's first five points to level the game (26-26) a little over a minute gone. Back-to-back baskets from Courtney Lindfors and Hambric reestablished Loyola's halftime margin (33-28) before the Redbirds caught fire, scoring six unanswered, to take their first lead of the half (34-33) at the 15:09 mark.
The two in-state rivals spent the middle stages of the second half trading baskets, with neither team able to establish more than a one-possession lead. Nazon's second three-point basket of the game edged Loyola in-front by three (52-49) with 7:35 left in the half. After a pair of Nazon free throws tied the game at 56 all at the 4:44 mark, Illinois State went on a 7-0 run to blow the game open. An old-fashioned three-point play by Katy Winge capped off the spurt and gave the Redbirds a 63-56 lead with 3:07 remaining. Bailey Farley drained her last of four three pointers with 1:25 left to claw Loyola back to within four (65-61) but those would prove to be the Ramblers' final points of the afternoon as the Redbirds put the game away from the charity stripe en route to victory.
Hambric was joined in double-figures by Nazon (14 points) and Farley (13 points). Lyndsey Booker tore down a team-high six rebounds, while Becca Smith finished with a game-high seven assists. Octavia Crump (18 points) and Chloe Nelson (15 points) led the way for Illinois State, combining to shoot 20-of-26 from the free throw line. As a team, Illinois State shot 42 free throws, compared to Loyola's 20 in a game that featured a combined 46 fouls.
Loyola returns home for its final two games of the regular season ahead of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, March 13-16, in St. Charles, Mo. The first of those two contests will take place on Thursday (March 6) when the Ramblers play host to the Southern Illinois Salukis. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from inside Gentile Arena.
