CHICAGO (January 19, 2020)

In Short…
Loyola University Chicago rebounded from a tough offensive showing to open the weekend by shooting just over 48 percent this afternoon as it picked up a 69-64 win over Illinois State (11-5, 3-2 MVC) at Gentile Arena.  Today's victory pushes the Ramblers to 13-4 overall and 4-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play, matching the program's best six-game start to a Valley season since 2015-16.
 
How It Happened
Loyola wasted no time in jumping in front, with an Abby O'Connor corner triple giving the Ramblers a 5-0 lead with 7:28 remaining in the first quarter.  The Maroon & Gold's bench stepped up to close out the opening frame, as Kat Nolan, Jala Johnson, and Alexis Meyer each converted inside over the final 4:05 to stake the Ramblers to an 11-4 edge.
 
After hitting on just one of its first 13 attempts on the afternoon, scores on consecutive trips from Cameron Call and Lexi Wallen pulled Illinois State within three, 11-8, with just under two minutes gone in the second quarter.  Back-to-back jumpers from Sam Galanopoulos and Tiara Wallace reestablished a seven-point margin, 17-10, but the Redbirds continued to hang around, trimming Loyola's lead 21-19 on a Juliunn Redmond layup in the closing seconds of the first half.
 
Allison Day looked to take over coming out of halftime, finishing inside on back-to-back trips to stretch the lead back to seven, 29-16, at the 8:25 mark.  After a triple from Tete Maggett closed the gap to 34-32 with 2:20 to play, Wallace came up with a pair of clutch buckets on Loyola's next two possessions, upping the margin to six, 38-32.  Wallace would add on two makes from the free throw line with just four seconds remaining in the quarter to give the Ramblers a 42-37 edge.

A Redmond layup with 7:28 to play capped off a 7-0 Illinois State run that pulled the visitors level, 46-46.  Things remained tight down the stretch, as Wallen converted on a second-chance opportunity at the 3:39 mark to again tie the game, 55-55.  On Loyola's ensuing possession, Julia Hoefling finished in the paint to spark a crucial 6-0 spurt that pushed the Ramblers back in front, 61-55, following a pair of Ellie Rice makes at the charity stripe with 2:05 to go.  The lead would reach nine before Illinois State looked to mount a last-ditch comeback, closing to within three on a pair of separate occasions in the final 44 seconds of regulation.  Day split two free throw attempts with only 26 seconds remaining to make it a two-possession game, 68-64, before Loyola withstood a barrage of Illinois State three-point tries in the closing seconds en route to picking up its fourth win in five games.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Loyola finished the afternoon at 48.1 percent (26-of-54) from the field and operated at a red-hot 76.2 percent (16-of-21) clip during the second half.
- Day scored 15 of her team-high 17 points (6-10 FGs, 5-8 FTs) in the second half to lead a trio of Ramblers in double figures.
- Rice (4-8 FGs, 2-2 FTs) and Wallace (4-9 FGs, 2-2 FTs) added 10 points apiece, with Wallace also handing out a game-high four assists.
- O'Connor was a force on the defensive end, recording a season-high three blocks in addition to five points (2-6 FGs, 1-3 3FGs) and seven rebounds.
- The Ramblers received a big lift from their bench, which outscored Illinois State's reserves by a 20-14 margin.  Hoefling (3-4 FGs) and Johnson (2-3 FGs, 2-2 FTs) each scored six points to lead the unit.
- Wallen paced Illinois State with 23 points (9-14 FGs, 5-9 FTs) to lead all scorers.
 
Up Next
Loyola sees its lone action of next week on Friday, January 24 when it opens up a three-game road trip with a 6 p.m. tip-off at Valparaiso.