MOLINE, Ill. (March 12, 2021)
 
In Short…
Allison Day scored a career-best 23 points and Maya Chandler hit on a pressure-packed free throw with one second remaining as sixth-seeded Loyola University Chicago (11-12, 8-10 MVC) earned a thrilling 61-60 victory over third-seeded Illinois State (15-7, 12-6 MVC) in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship.  Tonight's victory from inside TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Ill. sends the Ramblers to their first MVC semifinal in program history.
 
How It Happened
Illinois State got off to a fast start, opening up an 8-2 edge following back-to-back threes from Juliunn Redmond and Terrion Moore.  With the Redbird lead sitting at 12-6, a Jala Johnson jumper in the paint sparked a quarter-ending 6-0 surge that was punctuated by a Day bucket which tied the game at 12-12.
 
Day went right back to work to begin the second quarter, connecting on a turnaround jumper that put Loyola in front for the first time, 14-12, with 33 seconds gone.  Illinois State responded with a 7-0 spurt, with a Mary Crompton triple pushing the Redbirds back on top, 19-14.  The Maroon & Gold caught fire from beyond the three-point arc shortly after, with Chandler, Ellie Rice, Anna Brown, and Sam Galanopoulos all dialing in to give the Ramblers a 26-21 lead.  Illinois State battled back, as Redmond knocked down a mid-range jumper in the half's closing seconds to trim the gap to 26-25.
 
Loyola went right back to Day coming out of the locker room, as the junior finished inside to make it 28-25 just 36 seconds in.  Redmond responded with a three to knot the game up at 28-28 on Illinois State's ensuing possession.  Both teams struggled to create separation throughout the third quarter, trading the lead seven times, the last of which came on another Redmond triple in the closing seconds that gave the Redbirds a 46-45 lead at the end of the frame.
 
Illinois State looked to step on the gas in the fourth quarter, opening up a 54-48 lead following a Paige Saylor layup at the 7:44 mark.  Galanopoulos drained a big thee seconds later, cutting the Redbird lead in half, 54-51.  With Illinois State holding on to a 58-53 edge with 4:30 to go, Day took over, hitting a long two before stepping back behind the arc and connecting to tie the game at 58 apiece with 2:36 to go.  Saylor and Galanopoulos traded layups to make it 60-60, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.  Following a key defensive stop by the Maroon & Gold, Chandler elevated in the lane and drew contact with just one second to play.  The freshman split two free throws, connecting on the first, to give Loyola a 61-60 lead.  After using a timeout to set up a final play, Illinois State was unable to get an attempt off before the buzzer, as Loyola punched its ticket to Saturday's semifinals.  
 
Inside The Box Score
- Day was phenomenal, finishing 10-for-13 from the field en route to her aforementioned career-high 23-point showing.  The Russellville, Ohio native also collected a career-high four steals.
- Galanopoulos joined Day in double figures, adding 11 points (4-6 FGs, 3-5 3FGs).
- Chandler chipped in six points (2-7 FGs, 1-3 3FGs, 1-2 FTs) and handed out a season-high five assists.
- Loyola finished the night at 46 percent from the field (23-for-50) and shot 40 percent (10-for-25) from beyond the three-point arc, as it knocked down a season-high 10 triples.
- Redmond matched Day on the night, finishing with 23 points (9-10 FGs, 3-4 3FGs, 2-2 FTs) of her own to lead Illinois State.
 
Up Next
Loyola moves on to battle second-seeded Drake on Saturday in the semifinals of the MVC Championship.  Tip-off between the Ramblers and Bulldogs is scheduled for 4 p.m. inside TaxSlayer Center.