VALPARAISO, Ind. (February 25, 2022)
In Short…
Loyola University Chicago took off on a 14-0 fourth-quarter run as it extended its win streak to five games, surging to a 66-52 victory over Valparaiso (10-17, 8-8 MVC) this evening inside the Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso, Ind. Tonight's triumph sees the Ramblers improve to 17-10 overall and 9-7 in Missouri Valley Conference play. Loyola's 17 wins are tied for its most since the 2012-13 season, while the nine conference victories are its most since 2015-16.
Head Coach Kate Achter's Thoughts…
"What a great effort in the second half. When it got tight, I thought our players really locked in and got some big defensive stops. I'm extremely proud of them. What a win."
How It Happened
Maya Chandler had the hot hand early on, accounting for seven of Loyola's first 13 points on the night. Her three just 28 seconds put the Ramblers in front, 3-0, before a driving score at the 3:48 mark stretched the margin to 13-8. Valparaiso went nearly four minutes without a make from the field in the first quarter, as a
Bre Hampton-Bey floater with time running down gave Loyola a 20-14 lead.
After both teams went scoreless for the opening two minutes of the second quarter,
Julia Hoefling used a nifty post move to push the gap to eight, 22-14, with 7:29 to go. Following two
Sitori Tanin free throws stretched the lead into double digits, 24-14, triples on consecutive trips from Shay Frederick and Olivia Brown brought Valparaiso back within four, 24-20, and forced a Loyola timeout. The Ramblers answered, holding the Beacons scoreless for the next 5:11.
Riley Blackwell cashed in off a deflection to reestablish a double-digit advantage, 31-20, as Loyola ultimately took a 31-22 edge into the locker room.
Chandler came out of the intermission attacking, scoring Loyola's first five points, with her second three of the night extending the lead to 36-24 with less than a minute gone. An old-fashioned three-point play from
Allison Day made it 39-24, but Valparaiso refused to go away, closing the frame on a 13-3 run that saw it pull within four, 51-47.
With the lead sitting at 52-49 following two Carie Weinman makes from the charity stripe, a steal and score by Chandler sparked the aforementioned backbreaking run that put the game out of reach. Day finished inside at the 5:14 mark to again bring the lead above the 10-point plateau, 60-49, before
Janae Gonzales banked home a three after contact, finishing off a four-point play that staked the Ramblers to a 64-49 advantage with just under four minutes to go. Valparaiso was held to just one make from the field in the final 10 minutes, a Frederick three in the closing minutes, as Loyola secured just its second regular season sweep of the Beacons in program history.
Inside The Box Score
- Chandler was terrific, leading all scorers with 20 points (8-13 FGs, 3-6 3FGs, 1-2 FTs), her third 20-plus point effort of the season. Over Loyola's last five games, the Martinsville, Ind. native is averaging a team-best 13.4 points.
- Day found her way into double figures for the 58
th time in her career, finishing with 11 points (5-11 FGs, 1-1 FTs).
- Hampton-Bey and Hoefling each corralled six rebounds, with Hoefling also adding a team-high three assists, a block, and a steal.
- Loyola limited Valparaiso to just 35 percent shooting (17-for-48), the 18
th time this season that the Ramblers have kept an opponent under the 40-percent mark.
- Weinman paced the Beacons with 15 points (5-10 FGs, 5-6 FTs).
Up Next
Loyola finishes out the regular season at home next week, welcoming Southern Illinois (March 3) and Missouri State (March 5) to Gentile Arena.
