CLEVELAND, Ohio (December 21, 2021)
 
In Short…
Loyola University Chicago held a vaunted Cleveland State attack to just over 32 percent shooting as it dealt the host Vikings their first loss of the 2021-22 season this evening in a 66-52 victory inside the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio.  Tonight's win, Loyola's seventh in its last eight games, sees the Ramblers close their non-conference slate at 8-3 overall, while Cleveland State, which entered the night as one of just seven remaining unbeaten teams in Division I, falls to 9-1 (4-0 Horizon).
 
How It Happened
Allison Day got to work early, converting on back-to-back attempts inside, the second of which knotted the score up at 4-4 with four minutes gone.  Following a Destiny Leo triple that gave the hosts a 9-4 lead, Loyola would hold Cleveland State scoreless for the final 5:39, as it closed the first quarter on a 12-0 run.  An old-fashioned three-point play from Julia Hoefling edged the Ramblers in front, 11-9, before Janae Gonzales connected from outside to up the gap to 14-9.  Day added a layup as time expired to give the Maroon & Gold a 16-9 lead.
 
Bre Hampton-Bey joined the party early on in the second quarter, drilling a triple of her own to stretch the margin into double digits, 19-9.  A Nadia Dumas layup at the 7:29 mark snapped an 8:10 scoreless drought for Cleveland State, pulling the Vikings with nine, 19-11.  Gonzales hit again from beyond the arc with just over three minutes left in the first half to make it 33-15.  Sitori Tanin finished inside on consecutive trips, giving Loyola its largest lead of the night, 35-17, with 1:50 remaining.  Cleveland State finished the half with a push, rattling off the final five points of the frame to trim Loyola's advantage to 35-22.
 
Both teams struggled on the offensive end in the early stages of the second half.  Jala Johnson dropped in a floater from in the paint off a smooth find by Hoefling to reestablish a 13-point lead for Loyola, 37-24.  Cleveland State refused to go away quietly, holding the Ramblers to just four points for the remainder of the quarter as it clawed back within eight, 41-33.
 
The Vikings continued to battle early on in the fourth quarter, again trimming the Loyola lead to eight, 43-35, on another Dumas bucket in the opening 35 seconds.  Hampton-Bey took over from that point forward, scoring on three straight possessions, all of which were second-chance opportunities, to stake the Maroon & Gold to a 50-35 lead with 7:22 to go.  Cleveland State got no closer than 11 the rest of the way, as Loyola extended its win streak to three games.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Loyola's effort on the defensive end once again set the tone of the evening, as it Cleveland State finished 19-of-59 from the field and 4-of-23 from beyond the three-point arc.  The Vikings, who came in averaging 80.0 points, were held to their lowest offensive output of the season.
- Day paced the Ramblers on the night with a game-high 19 points (8-16 FGs, 3-4 FTs), two rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
- Hampton-Bey poured in 12 points during the fourth quarter alone en route to a 15-point (6-9 FGs, 1-2 3FGs, 2-3 FTs), nine-rebound effort.
- Tanin again led the charge off the bench, adding 12 points (4-11 FGs, 4-4 FTs) in addition to four rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal.
- Hoefling continued to exert her dominance on the defensive end, recording three blocks, her sixth game this season with at least three rejections.  She also contributed five points (2-5 FGs, 1-1 FTs), six rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
- Sam Galanopoulos matched Hoefling on the night with four helpers to go along with two points (1-4 FGs), seven rebounds, a block, and a steal.
- The pairing of Leo (6-9 FGs, 2-4 3FGs, 2-2 FTs) and Dumas (7-16 FGs, 2-2 FTs) led Cleveland State with 16 points apiece.  Leo, who entered the night ranked second in the nation in scoring (24.2 ppg), was limited to her low point total of the year.
 
Up Next
Loyola opens Missouri Valley Conference play on the road next week, visiting Missouri State (December 31) and Southern Illinois (January 2).