CHICAGO (November 6, 2022) — A new era of Loyola University Chicago women's basketball officially begins Monday night as new head coach Allison Guth leads the program into its debut season as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Loyola travels to Western Michigan for the season opener, where tipoff in Kalamazoo is set for 6 p.m. CT inside University Arena with the game airing on ESPN3. The Ramblers are looking to build off last year's strong finish during an 18-12 campaign, which marked the program's highest win total since 1988-89.

Guth, who is the 10th head coach in program history, returns to Rogers Park after previously serving as an assistant coach with the Ramblers from 2005-07. She most recently spent six seasons as head coach at Yale University, leading the team to 99 wins.

Loyola returns three starters from the 2021-22 squad, along with eight total returning letterwinners. Four of the team's top six scorers that accounted for nearly 50% of the team's point production are back this season, including leading scorer from a year ago, junior guard Maya Chandler (10.6 ppg). The rest of the group includes junior foward Sitori Tanin (7.1 ppg), senior guard Sam Galanopoulos (7.0 ppg), and senior foward Julia Hoefling (4.5 ppg). 

Loyola looks to capture its fourth straight victory in a season opener when it takes the court for the first time Monday night. The Ramblers claimed the previous three openers by a combined average scoring margin of 21.7 points, including a 63-40 home win over Detroit Mercy to open the 2021-22 season.

The Ramblers are coming off a 73-65 exhibition win over Purdue Northwest last Sunday at Gentile Arena. Tanin led the way with a double-double effort, logging 17 points and 11 rebounds. Galanopoulos (14) and Anna Brown (11) also reached double digits in the scoring column, while Chandler finished with nine points and seven boards. The Ramblers shot an impressive 81.5% at the charity stripe, making 22 of 27 free throws.

Series Stuff
The last time Loyola made a trip to Kalamazoo was back on Dec. 3, 2018, with the Ramblers claiming an 11-point victory (64-53) over the Broncos. Western Michigan, which leads the all-time series with Loyola 7-3, won the most recent meeting between the two teams on Dec. 30, 2019, with a final score of 70-60 at Gentile Arena.

Scouting Western Michigan
The Broncos, under 11th-year head coach Shane Clipfell, are coming off a 32-point exhibition win (81-49) over Aquinas College Thursday night. Western Michigan was picked sixth in the Mid-American Conference preseason poll, after it tied for sixth in the 2021-22 MAC final standings with an overall ledger of 16-14 (10-10 MAC). Sophomore guard Lauren Ross returns after leading the team in scoring with 17.3 points per game, earning third-team all-conference recognition as a redshirt freshman last season. The Broncos went undefeated in three non-conference home games a year ago.

Up Next
Loyola travels to Milwaukee Thursday night for a 7 p.m. tipoff against the Panthers, before returning for the home opener at Gentile against Virginia on Wednesday, Nov. 16.