CHICAGO (March 11, 2021) – With its regular season slate complete,
Loyola University Chicago (10-12, 8-10 MVC) will open play in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship this weekend in Moline, Ill. The sixth-seeded Ramblers will battle Illinois State, the tournament's third seed, at 8 p.m. in a quarterfinal-round tilt inside TaxSlayer Center.
By virtue of finishing in the top six of the final league standings, Loyola is receiving its first opening-round bye at the event since 2015-16. With a win over Illinois State on Friday night, the Ramblers can clinch the program's first trip to the semifinals of the MVC Championship.
LAST TIME OUT
Loyola struggled mightily on the offensive end as it suffered a 60-45 defeat at the hands of Illinois State on Senior Day at Gentile Arena this past Sunday in the regular season finale for both teams.
Maya Chandler impressed in the loss, scoring a season-high 18 points to pace the Maroon & Gold.
LOYOLA/ILLINOIS STATE – THE SERIES
Following its sweep last weekend in Rogers Park, Illinois State has opened up a 14-7 (.667) lead in the all-time series between the Ramblers and Redbirds in women's basketball. Friday's tilt marks the first meeting between the two in-state rivals in the postseason.
When the two teams opened their two-game season series last Friday at Gentile Arena, Illinois State erased a 10-point first-half deficit, as it escaped with a 64-61 victory. The Redbird defense shined in Saturday's finale, holding Loyola to 30.9 percent shooting from the field en route to their 60-45 win. Allison Day led the attack for Loyola in the two-game series, posting a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) on Friday as she averaged 10.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.
BIRDWATCHING
Rolling into tournament play on a five-game win streak, Illinois State brings an overall record of 15-6 to Moline. Picked fifth in the MVC Preseason Poll, head coach Kristen Gillespie's group finished 12-6 in Valley play to land third in the final league standings.
Illinois State is led by a quartet of All-Missouri Valley Conference selections, headlined by First Team All-MVC honoree Juliunn Redmond, who leads the Redbirds in both scoring (13.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg). Mary Crompton, an Honorable Mention All-Valley pick, operates at an MVC-best 46.4 percent clip from beyond the three-point arc, chipping in 11.2 ppg. Terrion Moore and DeAnna Wilson were both named to the MVC All-Newcomer Team, with Moore also earning an All-Defensive Team nod. Moore puts up 11.1 ppg and comes away with 2.1 steals per game, a mark that ranks fourth in the league. Wilson, the reigning MVC Newcomer of the Week, adds 9.1 ppg and 5.9 rpg.
UP NEXT
With a win on Friday evening, Loyola would advance to the semifinals of the MVC Championship at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, where it would battle the winner of the quarterfinal-round matchup that will feature second-seeded Drake and either seventh-seeded Valparaiso or tenth-seeded Evansville.
