CHICAGO (February 15, 2022)
In Short…
Loyola University Chicago overcame a disjointed start to shoot nearly 50 percent this evening as it rolled to a 64-40 win over Indiana State (10-13, 5-7 MVC) inside Gentile Arena. Tonight's victory, which improves Loyola to 14-10 overall (6-7 MVC), moves the Ramblers into fifth place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.
Head Coach Kate Achter's Thoughts…
"I'm really proud of our team tonight. Indiana State is a good basketball team and much improved from a year ago. They're big, physical, and skilled. I really thought we did our best tonight to neutralize them on the offensive end of the floor. There was a lot of really good stuff, but we're going to have a short memory as we turn around to play them again on Friday."
How It Happened
Loyola wasted no time in looking to attack inside, with
Julia Hoefling converting 39 seconds in to put the Ramblers on the board first, 2-0. With the two teams knotted up at 10-10 in a first quarter that featured a combined 10 turnovers, an Anna McKendree triple vaulted Indiana State in front, 13-10. Threes on consecutive trips from
Anna Brown and
Maya Chandler briefly gave the Ramblers a 16-15 edge, but Tonysha Curry muscled up an attempt in the paint with time winding down to stake the Sycamores to a 17-16 lead.
Brown stayed hot from deep, knocking down back-to-back treys, the second of which gave the Maroon & Gold a 22-19 advantage at the 6:56 mark of the second quarter. Both offenses sputtered in the ensuing minutes, as the two teams went scoreless for the next 3:14 before
Sitori Tanin finished inside to stretch the gap to five, 24-19. Brown drilled her fourth three of the half with 2:04 remaining, giving Loyola a 29-23 lead it carried into the intermission.
After seeing Loyola push its lead into double digits, 33-23, in the early stages of the third quarter, Indiana State looked to mount a comeback. An old-fashioned three-point play from Arianna Smith with 6:41 to play in the frame pulled the Sycamores back within five, 33-28. Hoefling responded with a bucket on Loyola's next possession before
Bre Hampton-Bey connected from outside at the midway point to reestablish a 10-point lead, 40-30.
Loyola kept its foot on the gas the rest of the way, stretching the gap out to 64-36 on a driving score by
Kaylen Evans with 1:28 remaining in regulation en route to its 10
th home win of the year.
Inside The Box Score
- Loyola finished at 48.9 percent (23-for-47) on the offensive end, a mark which included a 44.4 percent clip (8-for-18) from beyond the three-point arc.
- The Ramblers were once again resolute on the defensive side, holding Indiana State to 26.3 percent (15-for-57) shooting in limiting the Sycamores to a season-low point total and 20 turnovers.
- Chandler spearheaded the attack, leading all scorers with 19 points (7-13 FGs, 2-6 3FGs, 3-4 FTs).
- Brown provided a spark in relief as she knocked down a career-high five threes as part of a 15-point (5-7 FGs, 5-6 3FGs), three-rebound effort.
- Hoefling turned in an impressive stat line that included seven points (3-4 FGs, 1-2 FTs), seven rebounds, five assists, six blocks, and two steals. The junior's six rejections, just one off matching the single-game program record, are the most in a game by a Rambler since Dakota Vann swatted six shots back on November 25, 2015 against Central Michigan.
- Tanin continued her strong work of late, contributing eight points (3-8 FGs, 2-4 FTs) and eight rebounds.
- Curry paced Indiana State with 10 points (4-7 FGs, 2-4 FTs).
Up Next
Loyola opens up a three-game road swing with matchups against Indiana State (February 18) and Evansville (February 20) this weekend.
