Box Score

In Short…
Spurred on by a strong defensive effort, Loyola University Chicago picked up its second win in as many games, defeating Evansville by a final score of 60-47 this evening at the Meeks Family Fieldhouse in Evansville, Ind.  With the win, the Ramblers improve to 7-19 on the year (5-10 MVC), while the Purple Aces slide to 3-23 (0-15 MVC).
 
How It Happened
Offense came at a premium on both ends of the floor in the early minutes.  Tiara Wallace finished at the rim just in front of the midway point of the first quarter to give Loyola a 6-5 edge.  Kailyn Strawbridge used a spin move to evade her defender in the lane to push the margin to four, 11-7, with 1:27 remaining, before sinking a buzzer-beating three that stretched the Rambler lead to 15-9. 
 
Loyola held Evansville without a made field goal for a 5:31 stretch in the second quarter, upping its lead to 23-14 on a layup from Katie Salmon with 5:22 to play.  The gap would reach double figures for the first time at the 1:56 mark as Kat Nolan collected one of her seven offensive caroms on the night and scored to make it 27-17.  Strawbridge capped off the first half with her second triple of the night to send Loyola into halftime with a 30-19 advantage.
 
Evansville slowly chipped away at the Rambler lead during the third quarter, pulling to within four, 35-31, on a step-back three from Kerri Gasper with just under three minutes to go.  The Ramblers responded with a quarter-ending 8-0 spurt that was bookended with threes by Jessica Cerda and Abby O'Connor to establish a 43-31 lead.
 
O'Connor took over to begin the fourth quarter, accounting for Loyola's first eight points in the final frame, the last two of which came off of a great find by Wallace on the break to expand the lead to 51-38 and force an Evansville timeout with only 4:50 to play in regulation.  Gasper helped pull the hosts back within eight, 51-43, but another Cerda triple pushed the lead back into double digits as Loyola cruised to a season sweep over Evansville.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Loyola held Evansville to only 29.1 percent (18-of-55) shooting from the field and forced 12 turnovers. 
- After being held to only two points in the first half, O'Connor erupted for 16 points in the second stanza en route to finishing with a team-high 18 points. 
- Cerda added 16 points and a season-high four steals, while Strawbridge rounded out a trio in double figures for the Maroon & Gold with 13 points.
- Nolan finished just shy of a double-double, pulling down a season-best 12 rebounds to go along with six points. Wallace came off the bench to collect nine rebounds, one shy of her season high, score five points and dish out three assists.
- Bolstered by Nolan and Wallace's work, the Ramblers turned in a dominant showing on the backboards, outrebounding Evansville by a final margin of 47-36. 
- Gasper led all scorers with 23 points for the Purple Aces. 
 
Up Next
Loyola heads north to Terre Haute, Ind. on Sunday afternoon for a 1 p.m. (CT) tilt with Indiana State in its MVC road finale.