Box Score (PDF)

In Short…
Drake (11-4, 3-0 MVC) picked up its 43^rd-straight win in Missouri Valley Conference play this evening, downing Loyola University Chicago by a final count of 69-60 at the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa.  Tonight's defeat sees the Ramblers drop to 7-6 overall (1-1 MVC).
 
How It Happened
An Ellie Rice jumper just over 90 seconds in gave Loyola a brief 2-1 edge before the Bulldogs took off on a 14-0 run that was capped off by a Maddy Dean layup to open up a 15-2 lead.  Another Rice bucket broke a 6:10 scoring drought for the Maroon & Gold but Drake raced into the second quarter with a 22-6 advantage.
 
Dean converted again inside at the 3:36 mark to stretch the hosts' lead to 29-8 before Loyola began to shake off its early offensive struggles.  Abby O'Connor connected from beyond the three-point arc as part of a 9-0 spurt that closed the gap to 29-17 as the Bulldogs ultimately took a 32-20 lead into the locker room.
 
A 15-2 Drake run to open the second half extended Loyola's deficit to 25 points (47-22), prompting a Rambler timeout.  Bachrodt's second triple gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of the night, 54-25, with 1:49 to play.  Janae Gonzales answered back with a three of her own as time wound down in the third quarter to trim the margin to 56-30.
 
Gonzales picked up right where she left off to begin the fourth quarter, connecting again from distance before Alexis Meyer finished in the paint to pull Loyola within 21 (56-35). O'Connor drained three treys over a 2:15 span in the frame's middle stages as the Ramblers again closed to within 21 (67-46) with 4:57 remaining.  Two O'Connor makes from the free throw line sparked a game-ending 14-0 surge that featured two more Gonzales threes as Loyola battled until the very end, falling by the aforementioned 69-60 scoreline. 
 
Inside The Box Score
- O'Connor paced the Ramblers with 14 points, knocking down four of her five attempts from distance as she reached double figures in scoring for the 10^th time in Loyola's last 11 games.  She also collected a team-high seven rebounds.
- Rice added 13 points, while Gonzales knocked down four threes of her own as part of a 12-point effort.
- The Ramblers shot a scintillating 73.3 percent (11-of-15) from the field as part of a 30-point fourth quarter.
- Loyola's 10 made threes this evening are tied for its second most in a game this season.  
- Becca Hittner led Drake with a game-high 16 points.
 
Up Next
Loyola returns to action on Sunday, January 13 against UNI.  Tip-off from the McLeod Center is set for 11:30 a.m.