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CHICAGO (January 30, 2019) - Loyola University Chicago opens up a season-long four-game homestand this coming weekend as it welcomes a pair of in-state rivals to Gentile Arena to close out the first half of its Missouri Valley Conference schedule.

Illinois State will make its way to Rogers Park for a 7 p.m. Friday evening matchup before Bradley provides the opposition at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Sunday's meeting with the Braves will also serve as the program's annual "Alumni Day". More information and a link to register can be accessed here.
 

LAST TIME OUT
Janae Gonzales scored a season-high 30 points as Loyola fell on the road at Southern Illinois on Sunday afternoon, 74-63.  Gonzales knocked down eight of her 13 tries from beyond the three-point arc, finishing just one triple shy of tying former Rambler great Maggie McCloskey's single-game program record.  Abby O'Connor finished just short of a double-double in the defeat, chipping in 10 points go along with eight rebounds.
 

LOYOLA – ILLINOIS STATE – THE SERIES
Loyola and Illinois State are meeting on Friday evening in a series that dates back to March 2, 1978. Following the first matchup, the two teams would go nearly 26 years before meeting again on December 11, 2004.  The Redbirds hold a 10-5 edge in the series, but Loyola has won each of the last four meetings at Gentile Arena.  When the two in-state rivals met last season in Rogers Park, O'Connor erupted for a season-high 24 points, 17 of which came in the fourth quarter, as Loyola held off Illinois State by a final count of 62-59. Jessica Cerda added 12 points, while Kailyn Strawbridge handed out a game-high seven assists.


LOYOLA – BRADLEY – THE SERIES
Sunday marks the 40th installment of the rivalry between Loyola and Bradley on the hardwood.  The Braves lead the all-time series by a margin of 23-16 and have had the upper hand of late, prevailing in four of the previous five matchups.  Despite double-figure efforts from both O'Connor (13 points) and Tiara Wallace (10 points), Bradley escaped Gentile Arena with a 59-57 victory last season.  The Maroon & Gold gained a measure of revenge just under a month later, as they picked up only their second win in Peoria, Ill. in the last 25 years, defeating the Braves, 71-61, behind 17 points from Strawbridge.  
 

BIRDWATCHING
Illinois State, which has dropped four of its last six games, brings a 10-8 overall record into the weekend. The Redbirds sit at 3-4 in MVC play and are part of a three-way tie for fifth in the league standings, alongside both Loyola and Southern Illinois.

Head coach Kristen Gillespie's team dropped a 79-68 decision to visiting Bradley at Redbird Arena last Saturday in its only action of the weekend.

Simone Goods and TeTe Maggett have proved to be a formidable one-two punch for Illinois State.  Goods, the 2017-18 MVC Newcomer of the Year, leads the Redbirds in scoring, averaging 16.4 points, along with 7.8 rebounds.  Maggett, already a three-time MVC Newcomer of the Week honoree, is just behind Goods on the scoring chart, chipping in 16.1 points, and leads Illinois State in both assists (46; 2.6 apg) and steals (22; 1.2 spg).  The duo combines for nearly 54% of the team's offensive output.  
 

BRAVEHEARTED
Bradley enters the weekend in the midst of one of its best starts to a season in program history, sitting at 14-4 overall and 4-3 in Valley play. The Braves are in sole possession of fourth place in the MVC standings.

By virtue of its aforementioned win over Illinois State, Bradley, led by third-year head coach Andrea Gorski, has already surpassed its win total from all of last season (finished 13-18 overall).

The trio of Gabi Haack, Lasha Petree and Chelsea Brackmann lead a balanced offensive attack for the Braves.  Haack leads the team in scoring, pouring in 16.5 points, with both Petree (13.0 ppg) and Braackmann (12.7 ppg) close behind.  Petree, who has a team-high 35 steals (1.9 spg) to her name, has enjoyed a breakout freshman season, having already been named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on three separate occasions.  Rounding out the trio is Brackmaan, who averages a double-double (12.7 ppg, 10.9 rpg). 

UP NEXT
Loyola continues its current homestand next weekend when it plays host to UNI (February 8) and Drake (February 10).