CHICAGO (January 6, 2022) – Coming off a grueling stretch of six of seven games away from home, Loyola University Chicago (8-5, 0-2 MVC) will raise the curtain on its home league slate this weekend when it entertains perennial Valley contenders Drake and Northern Iowa at Gentile Arena.  The Ramblers and Bulldogs are set for a 6 p.m. tip-off on Friday evening, while Loyola's weekend finale with the Panthers is slated for Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

Loyola, which last played on the Gentile Arena hardwood back on December 8 in a 58-48 win over Eastern Illinois, is a perfect 5-0 in Rogers Park this season.  The Ramblers have excelled on both ends of the floor at home, averaging 70.4 points across the five contests, while holding opponents to combined 34.8 percent clip from the field.

LAST TIME OUT
Loyola opened MVC play with a pair of road setbacks last weekend, dropping games at Missouri State, 55-38, and Southern Illinois, 63-50.  Allison Day led the Ramblers on the trip, averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks.  The senior forward dazzled against the Salukis, finishing a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line en route to a team-best 18-point outing.

LOYOLA/DRAKE – THE SERIES
Winners of its last 15 games against the Ramblers, Drake holds a commanding 19-3 (.864) advantage in its previous 22 meetings with Loyola.  The Ramblers will be in search of their first win over the Bulldogs in Chicago since an 81-68 triumph back on November 23, 1991 inside historic Alumni Gym.  Loyola is winless in nine tries on its home court against Drake since joining the Missouri Valley Conference prior to the 2013-14 season.

Drake swept a two-game set from Loyola last year, cruising to a 75-46 win over February 5 before holding off a furious rally by the Maroon & Gold 24 hours later, as it escaped Gentile Arena with a 68-64 triumph.  Ellie Rice scored a career-high 28 points in the series finale, leading a charge that saw the Maroon & Gold whittle an 18-point deficit down to one in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter.

LOYOLA/UNI – THE SERIES
Loyola and Northern Iowa will meet for the 19th time on Sunday afternoon.  The Panthers have picked up wins in 10 of the last 11 meetings to open up a 14-4 (.778) lead in the all-time series and have won six of the seven encounters in Chicago since the two teams became conference foes.  

After dropping a 78-51 decision to open a two-game series last season at the McLeod Center, Day poured in 22 points, while Rice scored with only five seconds remaining as the Maroon & Gold earned a thrilling 66-64 overtime victory.  The win was Loyola's first inside the McLeod Center and just the second road triumph over UNI in program history.

BEWARE THE BITE OF THIS DOG
Winners of 20 or more games in seven of the last eight seasons, Drake arrives in The Windy City at 9-4 overall and 1-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

Led by first-year head coach Allison Pohlman, the Bulldogs split a pair of games on the opening weekend of league action, falling to Indiana State, 78-70, before throttling Evansville, 97-54.

Maggie Bair, Grace Berg, and Megan Meyer spearhead a Drake attack that averages an MVC-best 81.6 points and leads the nation in field goal percentage, shooting 49.4 percent (390-for-790) as a team.  Berg, who was named the 2020-21 MVC Sixth Player of the Year, averages a team-high 12.2 points while shooting at a red-hot 57.1 percent (68-for-119) clip from the field.  A First Team All-Valley pick a year ago, Berg has picked up right where she left off a year ago, chipping in 11.7 points per game.  Meyer, a transfer from the University of Iowa, has wasted little time in carving out her spot in the Bulldog lineup, adding 11.2 points across 13 appearances.

PURPLE REIGN
UNI enters the weekend with a 7-4 overall record.  The Panthers saw clashes with Evansville and Indiana State postponed last weekend due to COVID health and safety protocols.

In its most recent action, UNI went 1-1 in the Maui Classic, defeating Idaho, 75-64, before dropping a 70-59 decision to Oregon State.

Veteran head coach Tanya Warren, who is now in her 14th year at the head of the Panther bench, leans on the pairing of Karli Rucker and Kam Finley.  A three-time First Team All-Valley selection, Rucker finds herself in the midst of another standout season, averaging a team-high 13.5 points while shooting just under 50 percent (61-for-123).  Finley has carried over success from a terrific 2020-21 campaign that culminated with her being named the Most Valuable Player of the WNIT's Rockford Region, putting up 13.0 points per game.

UP NEXT
Loyola visits Central Illinois next week, with matchups against Bradley (January 13) and Illinois State (January 15) on the docket.