Box Score

In Short…
Loyola University Chicago jumped out to an early lead before using a third-quarter run to create separation as it cruised to a 76-40 victory over visiting Chicago State this evening at Gentile Arena.  Tonight's win pushes the Ramblers back over the .500 mark at 3-2 on the season, while the Cougars drop to 0-6.
 
How It Happened
Abby O'Connor rattled off Loyola's first five points of the night, the last three of which came on a triple that put the Ramblers on top, 5-4, with just under three minutes gone.  Following a finish inside by Tamara Olverson that trimmed the Loyola lead to 13-10, the Ramblers took off on a 7-0 spurt, capped off from distance by Janae Gonzales, to open up a 20-12 edge at the end of the first quarter.
 
Chicago State hung around throughout the opening stages of the second frame.  A Taylor Robinson mid-range bucket pulled the Cougars back to within four at 24-20 at the midway point of the quarter.  Loyola again responded with a surge, as an Allison Day fastbreak layup sparked a 9-0 run that upped the margin back into double digits as the Maroon & Gold raced into the locker room with a 33-23 advantage.
 
Loyola put away any hopes Chicago State had for a comeback on the strength of a backbreaking third-quarter performance.  With the Rambler lead sitting at 35-26 after Tyeshia Bowers connected from beyond the three-point arc, Tiara Wallace drained a jumper to lay the foundation for a 14-0 Loyola run that stretched the gap to 49-26 as Loyola cruised to an emphatic victory.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Day knocked down 8-of-12 shots from the field en route to a season-high 17-point effort.
- The freshman paced a group of five Ramblers to reach double figures in scoring that also included Gonzales (13 points), O'Connor (11 points), Ellie Rice (11 points) and Wallace (10 points).
- Wallace turned in yet another complete effort, adding 10 rebounds and four assists to her scoring output as she notched the second double-double of her career.
- Citiana Negatu provided the Ramblers with quality minutes off the bench, chipping in seven points and a career-high six steals.  The senior's six takeaways are the most by a Rambler since O'Connor recorded six steals on February 2 of last season at Illinois State.
- For the second time in as many years, Loyola turned in a strong defensive showing against its South Side rival, limiting the Cougars to only 26 percent shooting (16-of-61) from the field while also forcing 21 turnovers.
- Ines Mata Boix finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds to lead Chicago State.
 
Up Next
Loyola returns to the Gentile Arena hardwood on Thursday when it takes on Purdue Fort Wayne for "Field Trip Day with the Ramblers".  Tip-off against the Mastodons is slated for 11 a.m.