CHICAGO (December 16, 2020) – After playing its first two games of the 2020-21 campaign on the road, Loyola University Chicago makes its first appearance of the year inside Gentile Arena on Friday evening when it plays host to NCAA Division II foe Purdue Northwest at 7 p.m. Fans will not be permitted inside Gentile Arena, but can catch all the action live on ESPN3.
The Ramblers will be in search of their third straight win in a home opener on Friday, following wins over Detroit Mercy, 52-43, and Vermont, 78-76, respectively, in each of the last two seasons.
LAST TIME OUT
Loyola more than held its own against No. 24/23 DePaul, taking a lead into the fourth quarter, but the host Blue Demons took off on a 15-0 run to seize control en route to a 76-67 victory this past Sunday at Wintrust Arena.
Maya Chandler led the Ramblers with 14 points in the defeat, while
Allison Day (11 points) and
Ellie Rice (10 points) also scored in double figures.
LOYOLA – PURDUE NORTHWEST – THE SERIES
Loyola and Purdue Northwest are set to meet in a regular-season contest for the first time on Friday evening. The Ramblers last battled Purdue Northwest, then known as Purdue-Calumet, in an exhibition tilt on November 4, 2007, cruising to a 99-53 victory inside Gentile Arena. Friday's matchup with the Pride marks Loyola's first regular-season meeting with a Non-Division 1 foe since it picked up a 103-74 win over Western New Mexico back on November 29, 2008. The Maroon & Gold holds a 52-9 (.852) mark against Non-Division I foes in program history.
ROARING WITH PRIDE
Led by second-year head coach Courtney Locke, Purdue Northwest finished the 2019-20 season at 6-22 overall, a record that included a 5-15 mark in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play. The Pride's six wins from a season ago were their most since beginning play at the NCAA Division II level prior to the start of the 2017-18 academic year. Purdue Northwest, which officially opens its season by hosting Michigan Tech on January 8, returns its top four leading scorers from last year. Leading the way for that quartet is guard Savaya Brockington, who averaged a team-high 14.3 points a year ago.
UP NEXT
Loyola raises the curtain on its Missouri Valley Conference schedule when it welcomes Indiana State to Gentile Arena, January 1-2. The New Year's Day matchup with the Sycamores is slated for a 12 p.m. tip-off, while the following day's clash will begin at 1 p.m.
