Box Score

In Short…
Loyola University Chicago gave co-Missouri Valley Conference leader Missouri State (17-8, 13-1 MVC) all it could handle in the opening 20 minutes before ultimately falling to the Lady Bears, 85-58, this afternoon on Senior Day at Gentile Arena.  Today's result brings the Ramblers to 12-14 overall and 6-9 in Valley play.
 
How It Happened
Following an emotional pregame ceremony in which Loyola honored its senior class, Missouri State got off to a hot start, connecting on each of its first six attempts from the field en route to building a 12-6 lead with three minutes gone.  Loyola answered back with a 7-0 run that was capped off by an Abby O'Connor three to race in front, 13-12, at the 3:15 mark.  Another O'Connor bucket regained the lead for the Maroon & Gold, 17-16, before Ellie Rice connected on a corner triple with time winding down in the first quarter to put Loyola up four, 20-16.
 
The Lady Bears opened the second frame with a 7-0 run of their own to surge back in front, 23-20.  Loyola continued to hang tough, with a Tiara Wallace driving score staking the Ramblers to a slim 28-27 advantage just past the midway point of the second quarter.  Missouri State would go on to hold Loyola scoreless for 3:30 after Wallace's bucket, opening up a 35-28 lead.  O'Connor would snap the dry spell, draining her third trey of the first half as Loyola battled back within four, 35-31, heading into halftime.
 
O'Connor sliced the deficit to just two, 35-33, 40 seconds into the third quarter before the visitors caught fire, erupting for eight unanswered points as they built a 43-33 lead following an old-fashioned three-point play by Brice Calip.  Loyola chipped the margin down to seven on a pair of separate occasions in the following minutes, but that proved to be as close as it could get for the remainder of the afternoon, as the Lady Bears pulled away for their 17^th victory of the season.
 
Inside The Box Score
- O'Connor led a quartet of Ramblers in double figures with 16 points (6-14 FGs, 3-7 3FGs, 1-1 FTs), while also recording a career-high tying three blocks.
- Rice added 11 points (4-13 FGs, 3-9 3FGs) and a team-best four assists.  Wallace (5-8 FGs, 0-1 3FGs) and Allison Day (5-8 FGs, 0-2 FTs) each chipped in 10 points.
- Missouri State turned in an impressive showing on the glass, outrebounding Loyola by a final count of 48-28.
- Jazmine Franklin led all scorers with 18 points for Missouri State.
 
Up Next
Loyola opens a season-ending three-game road trip on Thursday, February 28 at Illinois State.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Redbird Arena.