CHICAGO (January 30, 2021) –

In Short…
Bolstered by a standout effort from Bre Hampton-Bey, Loyola University Chicago battled past visiting Southern Illinois (5-6, 2-4 MVC) by a final count of 53-46 this afternoon at Gentile Arena.  Today's victory, Loyola's fourth in its last five games, moves the Ramblers to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in Missouri Valley Conference action, matching the program's best start to a Valley campaign.
 
Head Coach Kate Achter's Thoughts…
"You have to work really hard to get a victory in every Missouri Valley Conference game.  We have a lot of respect for the Southern Illinois program.  Every time we play, it seems to be like a boxing match.  I'm really proud of my team, especially when it got tight down the stretch.  We found a way to figure it out and got some late stops."
 
How It Happened
It took all of 52 seconds for Hampton-Bey to get on the board, as she attacked the basket to put the Ramblers on top early, 2-0, as part of a first quarter that saw the two teams combine to shoot just over 30 percent.  Another bucket from the senior guard tied the game at 6-6, before she dished to Maya Chandler, who knocked down a triple at the 1:11 mark to give Loyola a narrow 9-8 edge that it would take into the second quarter.
 
Layups on consecutive trips from Hampton-Bey and Chandler, respectively, stretched Loyola's lead to 13-8 with just over a minute gone in the second frame.  Allison Day converted on a conventional three-point play with 6:14 remaining to push the margin to eight, 19-11.  The gap reached nine, 23-14, following another driving score from Hampton-Bey, but Southern Illinois closed the half with a 6-2 spurt, the last two of which came on a buzzer-beater from Makenzie Silvey which trimmed the Maroon & Gold's advantage to 25-20 at halftime.
 
Sam Galanopoulos looked to spark Loyola's attack in the opening minutes of the third quarter, connecting from beyond the three-point arc to put the Ramblers up six, 28-22.  Hampton-Bey drained a mid-range jumper with 3:31 to go, upping the lead to 33-26.  Abby Brockmeyer answered with five straight points for the visitors, clawing Southern Illinois back within two, 33-31, with 1:26 remaining in the quarter.  Hampton-Bey wrapped up the frame with a flurry, finishing on an old-fashioned three-point play before driving inside for two more in the waning seconds to reestablish a seven-point lead for Loyola, 38-31.
 
Following another jumper from Hampton-Bey that made it 40-33 at the 7:23 mark, the Salukis took off on an 8-1 run, with Brockmeyer knocking down a long two that knotted the game up at 41-41 and prompted a Loyola timeout with just 4:43 to play in regulation.  Loyola went back to Hampton-Bey out of the stoppage and she delivered, finishing after contact to put the Ramblers up three, 44-41.  Day came up with a crucial bucket with just under three minutes remaining, stretching the lead to five, 47-42.  Despite going the final 2:47 without a make from the field, Loyola was able to come up with crucial defensive stops and went a perfect six-of-six at the free throw line in the game's closing minute to pick up a victory.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Hampton-Bey paced Loyola with 23 points (9-13 FGs, 5-6 FTs), the top scoring output by a Rambler this season.  She also collected two rebounds and dished out a team-best three assists.
- Chandler scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, adding 11 points (4-6 FGs, 2-3 3FGs, 1-2 FTs).
- Day ripped down a team-high eight rebounds in addition to seven points (2-7 FGs, 3-3 FTs), two assists, a block, and a steal.
- Loyola held the Salukis to just under 39 percent (19-of-49) from the field, as it improved to 5-2 on the year when it limits opponents to under 40 percent efficiency.
- Brockmeyer led all scorers with 28 points (12-20 FGs, 2-2 3FGs, 2-4 FTs), accounting for all 15 Southern Illinois points in the fourth quarter. 
 
Up Next
Loyola goes after a weekend sweep when it closes its series with Southern Illinois on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Rogers Park.