Box Score (PDF)

In Short…
The freshman tandem of Kailyn Strawbridge and Ellie Rice both turned in standout performances as Loyola fell to host Fort Wayne, 79-70, this afternoon inside the Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne, Ind. in its 2017-18 season opener.
 
How It Happened
Rice opened the scoring for the Maroon & Gold at the 7:31 mark when she connected from distance to even the score up at 3-3.  The Mastodons stretched their lead to six, 13-7, on a De'Jour Young triple before Strawbridge answered back with an old-fashioned three-point play to trim the deficit to 13-10.  Peyton Fallis would add a post score in the dying stages of the first quarter to give Fort Wayne a 15-10 edge after one.
 
A trey from Kierstyn Ripp capped off a 5-1 spurt to open the second quarter that saw Loyola's deficit grow to 20-11 with 6:31 remaining.  Rice provided a response, scoring five of the game's next seven points to cut the margin to 22-16 with just over five minutes gone.  A second-chance score by Strawbridge pulled Loyola to within 22-18 with 4:08 to go.  Hannah Albrecht answered with a three for the hosts seconds later to up the lead back to seven, 25-18, as the Mastodons ultimately took a 34-27 edge into halftime.
 
Anna Lappenküper converted on a three-point play of her own with 6:38 to play in the third quarter to give Fort Wayne its largest lead of the afternoon, 47-33.  A mid-range bucket from Rice sparked a 7-0 Rambler run that quickly put Loyola back to within striking distance, 47-40, at the 3:22 mark.  Fort Wayne would finish the quarter with a small flurry as a score by Jalencia Williams with time winding down pushed the Mastodon lead to 56-45 entering the final frame.
 
A fast-break triple from Strawbridge capped off a quarter-opening 6-0 surge that sliced the Fort Wayne lead to 56-51 with 8:31 to play in regulation.  Strawbridge drove inside and converted in traffic to trim the margin to 63-59 at the midway point of the quarter.  Following a pair of Lappenküper free throws that pushed the Fort Wayne lead to 69-59, Loyola looked to mount a final comeback, with Strawbridge burying a three before Alexis Meyer finished inside, but the Ramblers were able to only get back to within five before the Mastodons salted the game away from the charity stripe.  
 
Inside The Box Score
- Strawbridge finished the day with a game-high 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including a 4-of-9 mark from beyond the three-point arc.  The Rockford, Ill. native became the first Rambler to top the 30-point plateau since Taylor Manuel back on March 1, 2015.
- Rice added 20 points on a sizzling 8-of-11 clip from the field as she knocked down a pair of three-point attempts. 
- Loyola turned in a strong effort inside, outscoring Fort Wayne to the tune of 36-28 in the painted area.
- Despite being held to only two made field goals in the fourth quarter, the Mastodons were able to connect on 18-of-24 free throws over the final 10 minutes of play to dispel any hopes for a comeback. 
- Albrecht led a group of six in double figures for Fort Wayne with 16 points.
 
Up Next
Loyola returns home on Wednesday evening to open up a two-game homestand against Western Michigan in the 2017 home opener.  Tip-off from inside Gentile Arena is slated for 7 p.m.