Box Score

In Short…
Loyola University Chicago raced out to a double-digit lead and held off a furious Indiana State (9-8, 3-3 MVC) rally, defeating the visiting Sycamores by a final score of 56-54 this afternoon at Gentile Arena.  The win, Loyola's second in as many games, brings the Ramblers to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play, marking Loyola's best start to a Valley slate since 2015-16.
 
How It Happened
Offense came at a premium in the opening minutes, with both teams struggling to settle into a rhythm.  A Janae Gonzales three put Loyola on the board first, 3-0, with 8:04 to play but Indiana State answered with a 9-2 spurt to jump in front, 9-5, at the 3:25 mark.  The Maroon & Gold responded with a run of their own, rattling off the frame's final six points, the last two of which came on an Allison Day put back, to take an 11-9 lead. 
 
With the Loyola lead sitting at 17-14 with just under three minutes gone, two Maya Dunson makes from the charity stripe sparked a 9-0 Rambler surge that was capped off by an Abby O'Connor bucket inside, extending the advantage to 26-14 as Loyola took a 28-16 lead into halftime.
 
Loyola kept its foot on the gas coming out of the locker room, stretching the gap to 15 (39-24) on a post score by O'Connor with 3:37 to play.  Those would prove to be the Ramblers' final points of the third quarter, as Indiana State ripped off a 9-0 run to close within six, 39-33.
 
An O'Connor three at the 7:15 mark broke a 6:22 scoreless drought for Loyola, pushing the lead back to nine, 42-33.  The Sycamores again answered, battling back to tie the game at 46 all on a Regan Wentland layup with 1:48 to play.  Tiara Wallace converted on a pair of driving layups on back-to-back trips, the second of which gave the Ramblers a 50-48 edge with just under a minute to play.  O'Connor went on to connect on all six of her free throw attempts in the closing seconds before Loyola held strong on a final desperation try by Indiana State, securing a 56-54 win on its home floor.
 
Inside The Box Score
- O'Connor led Loyola with 18 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter.  The South Bend, Ind. native also collected eight rebounds and notched a pair of blocks.
- Gonzales added 13 points, knocking down three three-point attempts, while Day flirted with a double-double of her own, adding 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
- Wallace handed out a team-high three assists as part of a active day on both ends of the floor that also saw her finish with eight points, three rebounds, a block and two steals.
- For the second time in as many games, Loyola won the battle on the boards, outrebounding Indiana State by a final margin of 36-30.  The Ramblers are now 9-1 (.900) this season when they outrebound their opponent.
- Tamara Lee paced Indiana State with 18 points.
 
Up Next
Loyola visits JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo. on Friday, January 25 to take on Missouri State at 7 p.m.