CHICAGO (January 9, 2021)
In Short…
In a game that featured 17 lead changes and 10 ties, visiting Northern Iowa (8-5, 1-1 MVC) had the final punch, as it escaped Gentile Arena with a 58-54 win over Loyola University Chicago this afternoon. Today's result from Rogers Park drops the Ramblers to 9-6 overall (1-3 MVC) and brings an end to Loyola's six-game home win streak to being the 2021-22 season.
Head Coach Kate Achter's Thoughts…
"I think this was a really good weekend for us overall. I thought we had some opportunities late where we made some defensive mistakes and kudos to UNI for its execution. I'm really pleased with the production and the bounce back effort from our players. This was a really good learning opportunity for us going forward in late game situations."
How It Happened
Loyola started fast, with layups from
Bre Hampton-Bey and
Sam Galanopoulos staking the Ramblers to a 4-0 lead with less than a minute gone. UNI battled back, taking an 8-6 lead following a Kayba Laube triple that made it 8-6. After seeing
Allison Day finish inside to knot the game up at 10-10, Grace Boffeli responded with a layup of her own in the closing minute to put the Panthers back in front, 12-10.
Bre Gunnels rattled off the first seven points of the second quarter, giving UNI its largest lead of the afternoon, 19-10, with 6:45 remaining. Loyola's post play provided an avenue back into the game as time wore on. A pair of buckets from
Julia Hoefling trimmed the gap to five, 19-14, just before the midway point of the frame. Day and
Sitori Tanin chipped in four apiece during the final 3:44 of the half, with Tanin's score at the 1:13 mark capping off a quarter-ending 12-2 run that sent Loyola to halftime with a 22-21 advantage.
The Maroon & Gold picked up right where it left off coming out of the break, opening the second half on a 7-0 tear that was punctuated by a Hampton-Bey trey that beat the shot clock buzzer, stretching the Loyola lead to 29-21 with 7:36 to go. UNI responded with a push of its own, ripping off a 12-2 surge that saw it regain the lead, 35-33, on a Karli Rucker fast break bucket, as the Panthers ultimately took a 39-37 edge into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair which saw neither team build a lead of greater than two until the closing minute. An old-fashioned three-point play from Tanin with 4:05 remaining in regulation gave Loyola a 50-48 lead before Laube responded with a deep triple that made it 51-50. Another Tanin post score at the 1:18 mark pushed the Ramblers back on top, 54-53, but that would prove to be Loyola's final make from the field on the day, as Rucker closed the game by going 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the final minute to propel UNI to a road victory.
Inside The Box Score
- Day led the way for Loyola, finishing with 14 points (6-11 FGs, 2-2 FTs) and 10 rebounds to record her 11
th career double-double. The Russellville, Ohio native, who also dished out three assists, is now just four points shy of 1,000 for her collegiate career.
- For the second time in as many games, Hoefling turned in a career-best outing on the offensive end, adding 11 points (5-9 FGs, 1-3 FTs).
- Galanopoulos shared the team lead in assists with Day, handing out three helpers in addition to four points (2-3 FGs), five rebounds, and two steals.
- Hampton-Bey (4-8 FGs, 1-2 3FGs) and Tanin (4-5 FGs, 1-1 FTs) each scored nine points, with Tanin also recording a pair of blocks.
- Rucker paced UNI with a game-high 16 points (4-15 FGs, 8-10 FTs).
Up Next
Loyola travels downstate next week for matchups with Bradley (January 13) and Illinois State (January 15).
