Box Score (PDF)
In Short…
Ellie Rice turned in a double-figure scoring effort for the second time in as many games as Loyola dropped a 65-47 decision to Western Michigan in its home opener this evening inside Gentile Arena. With the win, the Broncos move to 2-1 on the young season, while the Ramblers slip to 0-2.
How It Happened
Rice answered a LaTondra Brooks triple with a three of her own to knot the score of up at 3-3 with just over a minute gone. Jasmyn Walker knocked down another trey on Western Michigan's next trip down the floor to spark an 11-0 Bronco run that put the visitors in front, 14-3, at the 7:22 mark. A driving score by
Tiara Wallace as time expired pulled Loyola to within 19-9 at the end of the first quarter.
Abby O'Connor connected from distance with 8:19 remaining in the first half to cut the deficit back down to single digits, 21-12. Rice drained a baseline jumper to again trim the Bronco lead to nine, 23-14, as Western Michigan burned a timeout with 6:46 to go. Loyola continued to stay within a nine to 12-point range before the visitors took off on a 9-2 surge to ultimately race into halftime with a 37-22 edge.
Marley Hill converted in the paint to stretch the Western Michigan lead to 46-27 just over three and a half minutes into the second half. Slowly but surely, Loyola began to chip away at its deficit.
Kailyn Strawbridge, fresh off a 32-point outburst in her collegiate debut, rattled off five straight points, the final three of which came on her first triple of the night, to trim the lead to 46-32. An old-fashioned three-point play from
Lauren Segars that was followed by a bucket from O'Connor with time winding down saw Loyola close to within 48-37 after three quarters of play.
As was the case at the end of the first half, Western Michigan used a sizeable run to thwart any hopes of a Loyola comeback. A mid-range score by Walker was the catalyst for a 10-1 run that forced a Loyola timeout with the Bronco lead sitting at 59-39. Loyola would get no closer than 16 for the remainder of regulation as Western Michigan cruised to the final buzzer.
Inside The Box Score
- Rice finished the night with 11 points, the top output for a Rambler, on 4-of-11 shooting. The freshman, who knocked down a pair of three-point attempts, also came away with a team-high eight rebounds.
- O'Connor chipped in nine points, while Strawbridge dished out a team-best three assists to go along with six points.
- Walker led all scorers with 20 points to pace the Western Michigan attack.
Up Next
Loyola returns to the Gentile Arena hardwood on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. to host former Horizon League foe Youngstown State.
