CHICAGO (November 19, 2021) – Loyola University Chicago (1-2) will play its third straight contest against a local rival on Saturday afternoon when it welcomes Chicago State to Rogers Park to open a three-game homestand.  The Ramblers and Cougars are slated for a 12 p.m. tip-off from inside Gentile Arena.

LAST TIME OUT
Loyola held Northwestern to under 40 percent from the field, but shot just 29 percent at the other end in a 63-47 setback this past Wednesday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.  Janae Gonzales knocked down four threes as part of a team-high 12-point effort, while Allison Day posted a double-double, finishing with 10 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

LOYOLA/CHICAGO STATE – THE SERIES
Today's matchup in Rogers Park marks the 26th installment of the rivalry between Loyola and Chicago State in women's basketball.  The Ramblers have won 10 straight matchups against their rival to the south, opening up a 21-4 (.840) lead in the all-time series.

When the two teams met last season on November 28, 2020, Loyola weathered a slow start to cruise to a 70-57 win at the Jones Convocation Center. Sitori Tanin led the Ramblers with 16 points, while Ellie Rice (14 points), Maya Chandler (14 points), and Anna Brown (12 points) joined her in double figures in scoring.

HERE COME THE COUGARS
Led by second-year head coach Tiffany Sardin, Chicago State enters the weekend still in search of its first win of 2021-22, having dropped its first three games of the year.  The Cougars, who are coming off a 77-50 loss at Western Illinois this past Wednesday, finished the 2020-21 campaign at 0-14 overall (0-10 WAC).

Picked 13th in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Preseason Poll, Chicago State is led on the offensive end by Aaliyah Collins, who averages a team-high 11.0 points per game in addition to 4.3 steals per game, a mark which ranks 11th nationally. Kyjai Miles leads the team in rebounding (5.0 rpg) and has a team-best five blocks (1.7 bpg) to her name.

UP NEXT
Loyola is back on the Gentile Arena hardwood on Wednesday, November 24 for a 1 p.m. pre-Thanksgiving clash with St. Francis (Ill.).