Box Score

In Short…
Loyola University Chicago shook off a slow start before holding on late to defeat visiting Evansville (2-14, 0-5 MVC), 61-56, this afternoon inside Gentile Arena.  Today's victory brings the Ramblers to 8-7 overall (2-2 MVC) and eclipses Loyola's 2017-18 win total.
 
How It Happened
A flurry of Rambler turnovers in the opening minutes allowed Evansville to open up a 4-0 lead before Tiara Wallace rattled home a jumper at the 7:41 mark, pulling the Maroon & Gold within 4-2.  Alexis Meyer provided a spark off the bench, finishing inside on a pair of occasions, the last of which gave Loyola its first lead of the day, 6-4, just past the midway point of the quarter.  With the Ramblers holding a 10-8 edge, Evansville closed the quarter with an 8-0 run, capped off by a conventional three-point play by Makayla Wallace, to surge in front, 16-10.
 
Evansville continued to cling to a lead as the second quarter wore on.  Layups on consecutive trips from Jazmine Covington vaulted Loyola back on top, 21-20, with 3:28 to play in the first half.  The Ramblers would go on to score the stanza's final 10 points, while holding the Purple Aces scoreless over the final 5:01 as they raced into halftime with a 27-20 advantage.
 
Janae Gonzales connected from beyond the three-point arc to provide the exclamation point on a quarter-opening 7-0 run that pushed the Maroon & Gold's lead to 34-20 with less than two minutes gone.  Evansville refused to go away, chipping its deficit down to eight, 36-28, on two Wallace free throws.  Loyola would go on to build the lead back up to 14 as it ultimately held a 48-38 lead at the end of the third quarter.
 
Following a sluggish start for both teams to start the final 10 minutes of regulation, Evansville looked to mount a final charge.  An old-fashioned three-point play from Kerri Gasper trimmed the Loyola lead to 53-46 with 3:03 remaining.  A Wallace layup brought the Purple Aces within six, 56-50, before the Ramblers stretched the lead to nine following two makes at the line from Ellie Rice.  Gasper went on to score the final six points of the day for the visitors, the last three of which came on a desperation three with time winding down to cut the Loyola lead to 59-56, but two Abby O'Connor free throws put the game away as the Ramblers held on for a 61-56 triumph.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Loyola finished the afternoon at 48.1 percent (25-of-52) from the field but committed an uncharacteristic 19 turnovers. 
- The Ramblers held Evansville to just 30.4 percent (21-of-69), including a 14.3 percent (2-of-14) clip during the second quarter, and recorded a season-high nine blocks.
- Wallace led the attack with 14 points and registered a career-best three rejections, while Meyer poured in a career-high 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds.  O'Connor rounded out a trio of Ramblers in double figures with 10 points.
- Like Meyer, Covington provided quality minutes off the bench, handing out a game-high six assists to go along with four points and three rebounds.
- Brooke Bishop finished with 14 points to lead Evansville.
 
Up Next
Loyola is back in action on Sunday at 1 p.m. when it welcomes Indiana State to Gentile Arena.