Box Score

In Short…
For the second time in less than a week, Loyola University Chicago used an impressive fourth quarter to come from behind, defeating UIC by a final score of 75-60 this afternoon at Credit Union 1 Arena on the West Side.  Today's victory sees the Ramblers climb over the .500 mark on the year at 2-1, while the Flames drop to 1-2.
 
How It Happened
Janae Gonzales got the Ramblers off and running on the offensive end, knocking down a jumper in the paint to put Loyola on the board first, 2-0, with just under a minute gone.  UIC would respond with 12 of the game's next 14 points, opening up a 12-4 advantage following a Brittany Byrd layup.  The Flames' lead would reach nine, 18-9, on a Tatum McCall triple but Tiara Wallace finished the opening frame on a high note for the Maroon & Gold, coming up with a steal and score to trim the deficit to 18-11.
 
Gonzales again looked to spark the Loyola attack in the second quarter, knocking down a three 11 seconds in that pulled the Ramblers back to within 18-14.  Another Byrd post score stretched the UIC lead to double digits, 27-17, at the 6:52 mark, before back-to-back buckets from Ellie Rice and Abby O'Connor closed the gap to 27-21 with 5:58 to go.  That would prove to be the margin heading into halftime, with UIC holding on to a 32-26 lead.
 
After a layup from Byrd opened the scoring 18 seconds into the second half, a second-chance score by Gonzales sparked an 8-0 Rambler run that saw Loyola pull level at 34-34 following a pair of Kat Nolan free throws with 5:50 to play in the third quarter.  Gonzales gave the Ramblers their first lead since the game's opening minutes when she connected on another three to make it 37-35 just seconds later.  Both teams would struggle to gain separation for the remainder of the frame as UIC took a slim 47-46 advantage into the fourth quarter.
 
The two city rivals continued to trade the lead nearing the midway point of the quarter.  A conventional three-point play from Wallace with only 4:43 to play sent Loyola back in front, 59-56.  With the lead sitting at 60-58 after a Byrd bucket with just 3:38 remaining, Rice connected on a baseline jumper that laid the groundwork for an 11-0 Rambler run that stretched the lead to 71-58 and ultimately put the game out of reach as Loyola picked up its first road win of the 2018-19 season.

Inside The Box Score
- Today's victory is Loyola's first on the road over UIC since March 9, 2013.
- As was the case in Monday's victory over Detroit Mercy, the Ramblers caught fire in the fourth quarter, shooting 70 percent (7-of-10) from the field and just under 94 percent (15-of-16) from the free throw line.  The Maroon & Gold have now outscored their opponents by a 66-44 margin in the fourth quarter this season.
- Loyola turned in a balanced performance on the offensive end, with four players reaching double figures in scoring.
- Leading the way for that quartet was Gonzales, who poured in a season-best 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including a 2-of-5 clip from beyond the three-point arc.
- Wallace (15 points), Rice (15 points) and O'Connor (12 points) also surpassed the 10-point mark.
- Wallace narrowly missed out on a double-double, grabbing eight rebounds to go along with five assists, a block and a steal.
- Byrd paced UIC with a game-high 19 points.
 
Up Next
Loyola heads to Bowling Green, Ohio on Tuesday for a 10 a.m. (CT) matchup against Bowling Green at the Stroh Center.