March 7, 2014
Storylines
- Loyola hopes to wrap up its regular season on a high note when it plays host to the Evansville Purple Aces on Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at Gentile Arena at 2 p.m.
- Seniors Lyndsey Booker, Troy Hambric and Courtney Lindfors will be honored in a pregame ceremony.
- Troy Hambric scored a game-high 20 points as Loyola raced past Southern Illinois, 67-56, on Thursday evening. Becca Smith narrowly missed out on what would've been the second triple-double in program history, finishing with six points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists.
- Evansville continued its strong play of late, picking up its seventh-straight win as the Purple Aces defeated Bradley, 73-55, on Thursday night in Peoria, Ill. Sara Dickey led the way for Evansville with 19 points.
- Loyola is coached by women's basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes, who was named the eighth head coach in program history on April 12, 2013.
- In addition to its new coach, Loyola also has a new conference. Loyola is entering its first season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference after being a part of the Horizon League since it began sponsoring women's basketball for the 1986-87 season.
Loyola/Evansville - The Series
- Sunday afternoon's regular season finale marks the 26th meeting in the all-time series between the Ramblers and Purple Aces.
- In the previous meeting between the two teams earlier this season, Evansville raced past Loyola, 75-57, on Jan. 2 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.
- Troy Hambric led the way for Loyola, recording a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds, but was the only Rambler to score in double figures. Mallory Ladd led a group of five Purple Aces to score at least 10 points, pouring in 17.
Block Party
- One interesting statistic from Loyola's opening game at Louisville was the fact that, despite being undersized at every position, the Ramblers managed to rack up 11 blocked shots.
- Loyola leads the Missouri Valley Conference in that category so far this season, swatting 156 shots (5.4 bpg) through 29 games.
- Troy Hambric (2.0 bpg) and Molly Crosby (1.6 bpg) currently rank first and second, respectively, in the Valley in blocks per game.
Talkin' About Troy
- One of the biggest keys to Loyola's late-season surge last year was the return to form of Troy Hambric.
- Led Horizon League in blocked shots last season (1.80 bpg) and is second on Loyola's career list in that category (149).
- She has excelled so far this season in a new system, highlighted by a career-best 30-point performance against Indiana State on Feb. 2 at Gentile Arena.
- Has scored in double-figures in 25 of the last 28 games, averaging 19.4 ppg in conference play, a mark that ranks her second in the Valley.
- A two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week selection (Jan. 13 & Feb. 3)
Ayrealle Happy To Assist
- With capable scorers on the roster, junior Ayrealle Beavers has proven to be the perfect complement at point guard.
- Finished 21st nationally last season in assist/turnover ratio (2.1) and sports 1.3 mark in 28 games of action this season.
- Leads Missouri Valley with 5.5 assists per game this season.
Bigger Role For Becca
- After being thrust into the starting lineup on Nov. 26 against Minnesota, sophomore Becca Smith has elevated her game and become a consistent threat for the Ramblers.
- Smith scored a career-high 25 points in the Ramblers' 63-61 victory over Missouri State on Jan. 12.
- Posted the first double-double (18 pts, 11 reb) of her young career in Loyola's 77-63 victory at Chicago State on Dec. 31.
Looking Ahead
- By virtue of its victory over Southern Illinois on Thursday, Loyola is locked in as the eight seed in the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (March 13-16) at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.
- The Ramblers will face the winner of Sunday Bradley/Southern Illinois matchup in the tournament's opening game on March 13 at 4 p.m.
Playing With A Full Deck
- The Purple Aces roll into Sunday's game on a seven-game winning streak that has seen them climb into fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.
- On Thursday, Evansville jumped all over Bradley en route to a 73-55 victory at Renaissance Coliseum in Peoria, Ill. on Thursday night. Four Purple Aces starters scored in double figures.
- Sara Dickey spearheads the Evansville attack, averaging a team-high 18.2 ppg, while Mallory Ladd leads the team in rebounding at 9.5 rpg.
