CHICAGO (November 3, 2019) – Following a comfortable victory in its lone exhibition tilt last week, Loyola University Chicago officially opens the 2019-20 season on the road on Tuesday evening when it battles former Horizon League rival and fellow Jesuit institution Detroit Mercy.  Tip-off from Calihan Hall is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CT).
 
LAST TIME OUT
Loyola used a swarming defensive effort to easily surge past St. Francis (Ill.), 71-27, in exhibition action last Tuesday in Rogers Park.  Abby O'Connor scored a team-high 15 points as all 12 Ramblers who saw action scored.  The Maroon & Gold held St. Francis to just 25 percent (13-for-52) from the field and cashed in for 28 points off 18 Fighting Saints turnovers.

LOYOLA – DETROIT MERCY – THE SERIES
Loyola and Detroit Mercy will meet for the 70th time in Tuesday's regular season opener in The Motor City.  The Titans own a 47-22 (.681) lead in an all-time series that dates back to a 67-54 Rambler victory back on January 8, 1983 inside Alumni Gym.  When the two teams met last season at Gentile Arena, Loyola used a dominant fourth quarter to power past Detroit Mercy, 52-43.  Allison Day enjoyed a breakout showing in the victory, pouring in a game-high 14 points as the Maroon & Gold won its first home opener since the 2013-14 season.  Loyola will be in search of its first win at Calihan Hall since an 88-77 overtime victory during the 2010-11 campaign.

REMEMBER THE TITANS
Led by fifth-year head coach Bernard Scott, Detroit Mercy is coming off a 4-25 season in 2018-19. The Titans, who finished 2-16 in Horizon League play last season, were picked ninth in the conference's preseason poll.  Scott returns five letterwinners from a season ago, a quintet led by the senior pairing of Zoey Oatis and Ashley Miller.  Oatis is team's top returning scorer after chipping in 8.1 ppg across 27 appearances a season ago.  She was also a factor in the defensive end, coming away with a team-high 49 steals (1.8 spg). Miller, who started in all 22 games that she saw action in last season, ripped down 5.0 rpg and also added 4.1 ppg. 
 
UP NEXT
Loyola makes it lone appearance of the month inside Gentile Arena when it welcomes Vermont to Rogers Park for the 2019-20 home opener on Friday at noon.