In Short…
Loyola University Chicago kept its perfect start to the 2019-20 season alive in thrilling fashion, erasing a 13-point second-half deficit en route to a 78-64 win over Portland (5-3) this afternoon inside the Chiles Center in Portland, Ore. Today's victory moves the Ramblers to 6-0 for the first time in program history.
How It Happened
Loyola struggled mightily on the offensive end throughout the first quarter, going scoreless for the opening 6:04 of play before a
Tiara Wallace layup put the Ramblers on the board and trimmed the Portland lead to 5-2.
Alexis Meyer, a Portland native, came off the bench to provide a spark for the Maroon & Gold, chipping in four points and four rebounds as Loyola faced just a three-point deficit, 11-8, at the end of the first quarter.
An
Abby O'Connor triple capped off an 8-2 quarter-opening surge that gave Loyola its first lead of the afternoon, 16-15, at the 8:08 mark. Portland answered back with five unanswered points of its own to reclaim a 21-16 advantage just past the midway point of the quarter. Offense would continue to be tough to come by throughout the rest of the half, as the host Pilots headed into halftime with a slim 26-23 edge.
Portland came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders, opening the second half with an 8-2 spurt that gave it a 34-25 lead with 6:40 remaining in the third quarter. Loyola would chip its deficit down to seven on multiple occasions in the minutes following, but Portland scored the final six points of the quarter to open up its largest lead of the day, 44-31.
With its back to the wall, Loyola wasted no time in slicing into the Pilots' lead in the final frame. A fastbreak score from Wallace sparked a 6-0 run that pulled the Maroon & Gold within seven, 44-37, with 7:58 to play in regulation. Following a Maddie Muhlheim trey that stretched the margin to 49-37, back-to-back O'Connor layups laid the foundation for a 17-2 Rambler surge that vaulted Loyola out in front, 54-51, after a pair of
Ellie Rice free throws at the 1:25 mark. With Loyola holding on to a perilous 56-54 edge, Kate Andersen finished after contact with only one second remaining to knot the game up at 56 apiece. Andersen was unable convert on the ensuing free throw, meaning that the Ramblers would again need overtime to protect their unblemished record.
Loyola took control from the onset in the extra session and never looked back, rattling off the first 10 points of overtime to open up a 66-56 lead after an
Allison Day finish inside with just 2:08 to play. The Ramblers went on to hold Portland without a made field goal until the final 30 seconds of the period en route to their sixth straight win to open the season.
Inside The Box Score
- Rice was tremendous today, finishing with 17 points (3-8 FGs, 11-15 FTs) and 12 rebounds to notch her first career double-double. The Austin, Texas product also handed out a team-high five assists, marking her second game this season with at least five helpers.
- O'Connor added 16 points (6-17 FGs, 2-5 3FGs, 2-2 FTs), reaching double figures in scoring for a team-best fifth time on the year.
- Day narrowly missed out on a double-double of her own, chipping in 14 points (7-12 FGs) in addition to eight rebounds.
- Wallace rounded out a quartet of Ramblers to score in double figures with 11 points (3-8 FGs, 5-9 FTs).
- After struggling throughout the opening three quarters, Loyola shot just under 67 percent (14-of-21) during the fourth quarter and overtime. In contrast, the Maroon & Gold locked in on the defensive end down the stretch, limiting Portland to just 28 percent (7-of-25) shooting across the final 15 minutes.
- Andersen led all scorers with 19 points (8-13 FGs, 2-4 3FGs, 1-3 FTs).
Up Next
Loyola is back on the Gentile Arena hardwood for the first time in nearly a month on Wednesday, December 4 when it welcomes Dartmouth to Rogers Park for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
