In Short…
Led by four players in double figures and a stout defensive effort, Loyola University Chicago picked up a 61-40 victory over visiting Dartmouth (3-2) this evening inside Gentile Arena.  Tonight's result moves the Ramblers to a perfect 7-0 and keeps them as one of the nation's 17 remaining unbeaten teams.
 
How It Happened
Loyola wasted no time in looking to take advantage of its size, with Allison Day finishing in the paint on back-to-back possessions to push the Maroon & Gold out to a 4-0 lead just 63 seconds in.  An Annie McKenna triple at the 5:54 mark pulled Dartmouth back within one, 7-6, but Loyola responded with a quarter-ending 9-2 run, five of which came from Abby O'Connor, to open up a 16-8 lead.
 
The Ramblers continued to push ahead in the second frame.  Tiara Wallace and Kat Nolan both finished at the rim to stretch the margin to 20-8 with 8:59 to play in the half.  A steal and fastbreak score from Wallace just over two minutes later gave Loyola its largest lead of the first half, 26-10.  Dartmouth stayed within striking distance, closing to within eight on a pair of separate occasions, before a second-chance bucket from Day sent Loyola into the halftime with a 32-22 advantage.
 
A conventional three-point play from Ellie Rice highlighted a 9-2 spurt coming out of the locker room that stretched the gap to 41-24 just in front of the midway point of the third quarter.  The Big Green continued to hang around, chipping the Loyola lead down to 12 ahead of another Wallace layup that gave Loyola a 47-33 edge heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Loyola turned up its intensity on the defensive end to quickly put away any hopes of a comeback by the visitors, holding Dartmouth to just 15 percent (3-of-20) shooting during the final frame.  With the lead sitting at 52-38 following an Anna Luce layup at the 4:33 mark, Janae Gonzales connected from distance to jumpstart a 9-0 Rambler run that saw Loyola push its lead past the 20-point plateau as it coasted to the finish line from there.
 
Inside The Box Score
- O'Connor secured her second double-double of the season, finishing with a team-high 15 points (6-17 FGs, 1-6 3FGs, 2-2 FTs) and 10 rebounds in addition to two assists, a block, and a steal.
- Wallace (5-10 FGs, 2-3 FTs), Rice (2-3 FGs, 8-9 FTs), and Day (6-10 FGs) each added 12 points apiece as Loyola put four players in double figures in scoring for a second consecutive game.
- Wallace was a terror on the defensive end, recording two blocks and snagging three steals, both team-best marks.
- The Ramblers turned in another dominant showing on the glass, winning the rebounding battle by a 54-39 margin.
- Luce paced Dartmouth with 13 points (5-10 FGs, 3-4 3FGs) as Loyola held the Big Green to just under 28 percent (17-of-61) from the field on the night.
 
Up Next
Loyola is back on the road on Sunday, December 8 for a 2 p.m. matchup with SIUE in Edwardsville, Ill.