Box Score (PDF)

In Short…
Loyola University Chicago chipped a 17-point Northern Illinois lead down to just six points in the fourth quarter but was unable to complete the comeback as it dropped an 80-71 decision this afternoon at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, Ill.  With the win, the Huskies improve to 6-2, while the Ramblers now sit at 1-7. 
 
How It Happened
Abby O'Connor scored six of the Ramblers' first eight points to get Loyola out to an early 8-4 edge with three minutes gone.  Following a layup from Courtney Woods that gave Northern Illinois its first lead of the day, 11-10, O'Connor answered back with a three at the top of the key to put Loyola back on top, 13-11, at the 4:30 mark.  After a Brandi Segars mid-range score upped the lead to 16-13, Northern Illinois finished the frame on an 8-2 run to open up a 21-18 advantage.
 
Back-to-back threes from Jessica Cerda and Kat Nolan turned a five-point deficit into a one-point lead, 30-29, near the midway point of the second quarter.  Ellie Rice answered a three-point play by Abby Woollacott with a triple of her own to give the Ramblers a slim 33-32 edge with 4:18 remaining.  The Huskies would again finish with a flurry, scoring 10 of the quarter's final 12 points to race into the locker room with a 42-35 lead.
 
Northern Illinois' hot finish to the first half would carry over to the third quarter, with the hosts building their largest lead of the afternoon, 59-42, on an Ally May score with 3:16 to go.  Another three from Cerda closed the gap to 66-55 before Mikayla Voight answered back with a triple on the other end of the floor to push the margin to 69-55 at the end of the third quarter.
 
After a bucket from Woods stretched the Northern Illinois lead to 71-55, a three-point play by Rice sparked a 10-0 Rambler run that saw the deficit sliced to 71-65 with 6:14 remaining in regulation.  The Huskies responded with the game's next six points, four of which came from Voight, to ultimately thwart Loyola's comeback.  
 
Inside The Box Score
- Loyola closed the game at an even 45% (27-of-60) from the field, finishing just shy of its season-high field goal percentage of 46.7% that was set against Fort Wayne.
- O'Connor scored a season-high 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting as she reached double figures in scoring for the third time in the last four games. 
- Cerda added 14 points of her own, hitting four threes, while Rice came off the bench to chip in 13 points.
- Kailyn Strawbridge handed out a season-high five assists. 
- Loyola committed a season-low nine turnovers.
- Woods narrowly missed out on a double-double as she led all scorers with 22 points to go along with nine rebounds. 
 
Up Next
Loyola returns to the friendly confines of Gentile Arena on Sunday at 1 p.m. to take on former Horizon League foe Green Bay.