CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (February 20, 2021) –
 
In Short…
Allison Day poured in a career-high 22 points and Ellie Rice scored with just five seconds remaining as Loyola University Chicago (10-7, 8-5 MVC) picked up a 66-64 win in overtime against UNI (10-10, 7-6 MVC) this afternoon inside the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  Today's victory, Loyola's first on the road over the Panthers since joining the Missouri Valley Conference, puts the Ramblers in sole possession of third place in the MVC standings.
 
Head Coach Kate Achter's Thoughts…
"Tonight was so much fun.  Even if it didn't turn out in our favor at the end, I'm just so proud of our players.  They came back today and were tough and executed our game plan at a high level.  We got contributions from a lot of different people who struggled yesterday.  Just really proud of our group."
 
How It Happened
Day wasted no time in going to work, scoring just 47 seconds in to put Loyola on top early, 2-0.  UNI rattled off the day's next eight points, with a Karli Rucker jumper sending the hosts in front, 8-2 just before the midway point of the first quarter.  The Maroon & Gold continued to hang close, with a Sam Galanopoulos triple in the final minute cutting the deficit to 11-9 at the end of the frame.
 
Rice connected from beyond the arc two minutes into the second quarter to push the Ramblers back in front, 14-13.  Nicole Kroeger answered with a three of her own seconds later to make it 16-14, but UNI would go cold from the field from there on out, going scoreless for the final 7:14 of the first half.  Five straight points from Day, the last three of which came from outside, gave Loyola a 19-16 lead at the 3:05 mark.  Loyola continued to push as the half wound down, as a Julia Hoefling second-chance bucket sent the Ramblers racing into the locker room with a 27-16 advantage.
 
Loyola was able to keep UNI at an arm's length for the majority of the third quarter.  An Anna Brown triple with 3:02 to play staked the Ramblers to their largest lead of the afternoon, 41-28.  The Panthers finished with a flurry, closing with a 7-0 surge to pull within 41-35 heading to the fourth quarter.
 
Following a Rucker trey that clawed the hosts with 44-40, scores on consecutive trips from Hoefling and Day stretched the gap to 48-40 with 6:37 remaining in regulation.  UNI responded with a 9-0 run, capped off by a Megan Maahs three that gave the Panthers the first lead since the second quarter, 49-48.  Loyola refused to fold, reclaiming a four-point lead, 53-49, on another Rice make from outside with only 1:47 to play.  After a split at the line by Maya Chandler with 12 seconds remaining pushed the margin to 55-53, Emerson Green connected on a mid-range jumper with four seconds left to knot the game up at 55-55, ultimately forcing overtime.
 
With the two teams deadlocked at 62-62 after a layup in traffic by Bre Hampton-Bey, Rucker elevated in the paint to give UNI a 64-62 lead with 1:16 to play in the extra session.  Day knocked down a pair of pressure-packed free throws shortly after to again pull Loyola level, 64-64.  After a key defensive stop, Rice attacked the rim as the shot clock ran down, finishing an acrobatic layup to put Loyola back on top, 66-64.  Following a Panther timeout, Rucker's jumper in the final seconds went array, as Loyola sealed its first win inside the McLeod Center and second road win over UNI in program history.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Day led all scorers with her aforementioned 22-point effort (8-9 FGs, 1-1 3FGs, 5-5 FTs).  The Russellville, Ohio native also added nine rebounds, an assist, and a steal in a career-high 40 minutes of game action.
- Rice, who played 42 minutes, followed with 12 points (3-12 FGs, 2-6 3FGs, 4-4 FTs), seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
- Hampton-Bey was credited with a team-high four assists in addition to 10 points (3-10 FGs, 4-8 FTs), seven rebounds, and a steal.
- Led by Day's nine rebounds, Loyola was dominant on the glass, outrebounding UNI by a 37-25 margin.
- After shooting just under 34 percent from the field in Friday's loss, Loyola operated at a 46 percent clip (23-for-50) in today's victory.
- Rucker (6-12 FGs, 1-2 3FGs) and Green (4-6 FGs, 1-3 3FGs, 4-4 FTs) finished with 13 points apiece to pace UNI.
 
Up Next
Loyola is back in action in just four days when it welcomes Valparaiso to Rogers Park on February 24.  Tip-off from Gentile Arena is set for 6 p.m.