In Short…
Abby O'Connor and
Allison Day both scored in double figures as Loyola University Chicago turned in a stout defensive effort to defeat Southern Illinois (9-4, 1-1 MVC), 51-49, this afternoon at Gentile Arena. Today's victory moves the Ramblers to 10-3 overall (1-1 MVC), marking the earliest in a calendar year that the program has reached the 10-win mark.
How It Happened
Both teams struggled to settle into a rhythm early on, going scoreless for just over 90 seconds before
Ellie Rice rattled home a jumper in the paint to put Loyola on the board first, 2-0. Following a split at the free throw line by Caitlin Link that gave Southern Illinois a 10-8 edge,
Janae Gonzales drained a deep triple to ignite a quarter-ending 7-0 run to put the Maroon & Gold on top, 15-10.
The Ramblers continued to push in the second quarter, opening up a 19-10 lead after scores on consecutive trips by Rice and Gonzales. Nicole Martin used a nifty post move to snap a 7:04 scoreless drought for Southern Illinois, pulling the Salukis within seven, 19-12, at the 5:56 mark.
Abby O'Connor drained a step back jumper to give Loyola its largest lead of the half, 23-12, with just 3:37 remaining, but the visitors responded with a run of their own, closing the half with a 6-0 spurt to climb back within five, 23-18.
Buckets in the opening two minutes of the second half from Day and
Tiara Wallace pushed Loyola out to a 27-20 advantage. After seeing the Salukis close to within three on a Gabby Walker layup with 5:21 to play,
Kat Nolan added a layup of her own and Gonzales drilled a straightway three to give the Ramblers breathing room, 34-26. Southern Illinois answered back, rattling off the third quarter's final eight points, five of which came from Kristen Nelson, to pull even at 34-34.
Another Walker finish inside with just under two minutes gone gave Southern Illinois a 36-34 advantage, the Salukis' first lead since the opening frame. With its deficit sitting at 38-35 following a Martin score at the 7:00 mark, a
Jala Johnson layup provided a spark as Loyola came to life with a 9-0 surge to race back in front, 44-38, with only 2:59 remaining. The Ramblers struggled at the foul line down the stretch, but Loyola came up with a pair of crucial defensive stops in the game's closing seconds to hang on for their first Valley win of the year.
Inside The Box Score
- O'Connor continued her red-hot play of late, leading all scorers with 16 points (6-16 FGs, 1-6 3FGs, 3-3 FTs) and seven rebounds. Over Loyola's last five games, O'Connor is averaging a team-high 17.0 points.
- Day added 11 points (5-11 FGs, 1-2 FTs) as she narrowly missed out on a double-double, also collecting eight rebounds.
- Loyola overcame an uncharacteristic 20 turnovers in large part due to its work on the defensive end, where it held Southern Illinois to just 37.7 percent (20-of-53) shooting. On the individual front, the Ramblers closed down Makenzie Silvey, who entered the afternoon as The Valley's leading scorer, holding the guard to just two points (1-10 FGs, 0-4 3FGs).
- Nelson led Southern Illinois with 15 points (6-10 FGs, 3-6 3FGs).
Up Next
Loyola hits the road next weekend for a two-game swing through Indiana that features matchups with Evansville (January 10) and Indiana State (January 12).
