FRANKFORT, Kent. (March 20, 2021)
 
In Short…
Loyola University Chicago (11-15, 8-10 MVC) nearly erased a 14-point deficit, battling back within one possession in the fourth quarter, but saw its comeback fall short in a 56-51 defeat at the hands of Manhattan (11-8, 9-3 MAAC) in the consolation round of the Women's Basketball Invitational today inside the William Exum Center in Frankfort, Kent.
 
Head Coach Kate Achter's Thoughts…
"I was happy with our effort in the second half.  It seems like it's been quite a long time since we've won a fourth quarter.  I thought our urgency and effort in the second half was really good. We're still about getting better, and that's what we told our kids.  We wanted to get better in the second half and decide how badly we wanted to compete to win.  I thought they did a really good job with that and Maya (Chandler) led the charge."
 
How It Happened
Loyola got off to a slow start on the offensive end, not recording its first make from the field until the 2:42 mark when Anna Brown drilled a three to trim Manhattan's lead to 5-4.  Maya Chandler got on the board with 47 seconds remaining in the opening frame, connecting on a turnaround jumper to pull the Ramblers back within four, 10-6, before a pair of Jordan Jenna free throws gave the Jaspers a 12-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
Manhattan quickly pushed its lead into double digits, as a Gabby Cajou bucket stretched the gap to 18-6 with 6:52 to go in the first half.  The Maroon & Gold looked to begin to find its footing as time wore on, with a Julia Hoefling second-chance score and four straight points from Allison Day cutting the Jaspers' lead to 18-13 just past the midway point of the quarter.  A split at the free throw line by Chandler sliced the deficit to four, 20-16, but Loyola would go scoreless for the final 4:20 of the half as it found itself in a 23-16 hole at halftime.
 
A Sam Galanopoulos jumper 42 seconds into the second half quickly pulled Loyola back within five, 23-18.  The Manhattan lead hovered between five and nine points for the majority of the third quarter, before another drought on the offensive end for the Maroon & Gold saw the Jaspers extend their lead back into double figures, taking a 43-31 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
After seeing Manhattan take its largest lead of the game, 47-33, on an Emily LaPointe score with 7:40 to play in regulation, Loyola began to chip away.  Brown's second trey of the day got the Ramblers back within single digits, 50-43, at the 4:34 mark, before a Day jumper cut the gap to four, 51-47, with just under three minutes remaining.  Following a Galanopoulos split at the line that made it a three-point game, 51-48, LaPointe finished on a crucial conventional three-point play, stretching the Jaspers' lead back to six, 54-48.  Brown hit again from outside with 1:20 to go, chipping the lead to 56-51, but that would prove to be the end of Loyola's comeback, as Manhattan held on for a five-point victory.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Chandler continued her red-hot play of late, leading all scorers with 16 points (6-17 FGs, 1-4 3FGs, 3-5 FTs) as she reached double figures in scoring for a third straight outing.  The Martinsville, Ind. native also ripped down a season-high eight rebounds, handed out three assists, and came away with a steal.
- Day picked up her seventh career double-double, adding 11 points (5-12 FGs, 1-2 FTs) and 10 rebounds in addition to a career-high tying four steals.
- After shooting just 20.7 percent (6-for-29) during the first half, Loyola bounced back to operate at a 41.9 percent clip (13-for-31) during the final 20 minutes.
- Manhattan was able to make its presence felt at the free throw line, connecting on 20 of its 32 attempts from the charity stripe. 
- LaPointe finished with 11 points (2-5 FGs, 7-11 FTs) to lead the Jaspers.
 
Up Next
Loyola concludes play at the Women's Basketball Invitational on Sunday at 11 a.m., when it will battle either Abilene Christian or Florida International in the seventh-place game.