GAME INFORMATION
Final Score: Loyola 69, Bradley 63
Records: Loyola (14-15, 10-8 MVC); Bradley (8-21, 4-14 MVC)
Location: Gentile Arena -- Chicago, Ill.
Stats: Box Score | Season Stats
Watch: Postgame Comments | Highlights

In Short...
Taylor Johnson poured in a game-high 22 points to lead a group of three Ramblers in double figures as Loyola defeated Bradley, 69-63, this afternoon at Gentile Arena in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Ramblers move to 14-15 overall (10-8 Missouri Valley) with the win, while the Braves fall to 8-21 (4-14 Missouri Valley).

How It Happened
Following an emotional Senior Day ceremony, Johnson gave Loyola an early 7-5 lead with 7:23 to go. Tamya Sims pulled Bradley back to within one, 8-7, on a jumper at the 6:41 mark before a Dakota Vann layup ignited a 12-0 Loyola run that made it 20-7 with just over three minutes remaining. The visitors finished the frame with a flurry, using a 7-1 spurt to close to within seven, 21-14, after one.

Six straight points from Johnson to open the second quarter saw the Loyola lead move back to 13 (27-14) at the 7:45 mark. Post scores from Taylor Manuel pushed the margin to 14 on a pair of different occasions during the middle stages of the quarter. Three makes at the free throw line by Anneke Schlueter and a triple by Kat Yelle saw the margin cut to eight, 33-25. Vann sent the Ramblers into the locker room with some momentum as she finished on a driving score to make it 35-25 after 20 minutes of play.

A Letti Lerma jumper just 17 seconds into the third quarter pulled the Braves back to within eight, 35-27. Bradley, looking for its second consecutive victory in Chicago, continued to hang around but could never get closer than seven. A deep three by Grace Goodhart upped the lead to 12 (46-34) with 2:55 to play. Schlueter answered with a triple of her own a minute later before Manuel found Vann for two more to give the Ramblers a 48-37 edge heading to the final frame.

Loyola managed to keep Bradley out of striking distance for a good chunk of the fourth quarter. Johnson rattled home a mid-range jumper to push the lead back out to 13 (57-44) with just over five minutes to play. The Braves had one final push left in the tank coming down the stretch as they clawed back to within six, 63-57, on two Whitney Tinjum free throws with 58 seconds remaining. Becca Smith, Loyola's lone senior, iced the game at the charity stripe shortly after as she connected on four consecutive attempts to give Loyola a regular-season sweep over its rival to the south.

Inside The Box Score
- Johnson was active at both ends of the floor this afternoon, finishing with two rebounds, an assist, a block and four steals, as she reached the 20-point mark for the eighth time this season.
- Manuel scored 13 points and ripped down a game-high 15 rebounds en route to posting her team-best 10th double-double of the year, matching her total from all of last season. The St. Louis, Mo. product also dished out five assists and blocked four shots, both of which were team-high marks.
- Vann, who returned to the starting lineup this afternoon, scored 15 points, one off of her career-high in the category. She also collected two rebounds, blocked two shots and came away with three steals.
- Loyola was able to exploit its size advantage for most of the afternoon to the tune of a 38-10 edge in points in the paint.
- Tinjum scored all of her team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead Bradley's offensive attack.
- With the win, Loyola clinched its first 10-win conference campaign since the 2012-13 season.

Up Next
By virtue of today's win and Indiana State's loss to Wichita State, Loyola will be the fifth seed in the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Ramblers, who will receive their first opening-round bye since joining the league, will take on fourth-seeded Southern Illinois on Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at the iWireless Center in Moline, Ill.