DES MOINES, Iowa (February 6, 2022)
 
In Short…
Sam Galanopoulos poured in a career-high 18 points as Loyola University Chicago fell just short of erasing a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter in an 84-76 loss at the hands of Drake (12-10, 4-7 MVC) this afternoon inside the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa.  Today's setback sees the Ramblers slip to 12-9 overall (4-6 MVC).
 
How It Happened
Loyola struggled to find its footing early, turning it over on each of its first three trips as Drake jumped out to a 4-0 lead.  The Ramblers caught fire from outside as the quarter wore on, as Allison Day, Bre Hampton-Bey, and Maya Chandler all connected on triples, with Chandler's trey giving Loyola its first lead, 9-8, at the 6:56 mark.  A Courtney Becker split at the line pushed the hosts' lead to five, 16-11, but the Maroon & Gold continued to hang around, pulling within one, 20-19, at the end of the frame on a Chandler pull-up jumper.
 
Sitori Tanin flexed her muscle early on in the second quarter, scoring on three straight possessions, the last of which knotted the score up at 27-27.  Day converted off a nifty feed from Hampton-Bey on Loyola's next trip, putting the visitors back on top, 29-27, and prompting a Bulldog timeout with 6:22 remaining.  After seeing the Ramblers' lead stretched to 35-30, Drake rattled off six straight points, taking a 36-35 edge on an Allie Wooldridge bucket.  Galanopoulos connected from distance on the Ramblers' final possession of the half, briefly staking Loyola to a 38-36 lead, before a Grace Berg layup in the closing seconds tied things up at 38-38.
 
Galanopoulos drilled her second three of the afternoon just under a minute after the intermission to vault Loyola back in front, 41-38.  After a push that saw Drake pull even at 46-46, a Galanopoulos floater gave the Ramblers a 48-46 lead at the midway point of the quarter.  Tanin finished in traffic to edge Loyola on top, 50-49, but the Bulldogs closed the frame with an 8-2 surge to open up a 57-52 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
 
Following a Hannah Fuller triple that extended the margin into double digits, Loyola staged a furious rally.  Five straight points from Galanopoulos made it a one-possession game, 65-62, at the 5:59 mark.  Loyola continued to battle, cutting the deficit to 70-68 on a Tanin layup with 3:25 to go in regulation.  Despite holding Drake to just one made field goal the rest of the way, the Bulldogs were able to string together enough defensive stops down the stretch and salted the game away at the charity stripe.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Galanopoulos was terrific, going 7-for-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from beyond the three-point arc en route to a career-best showing. 
- Chandler put up 14 points (5-12 FGs, 2-5 3FGs, 2-2 FTs), while Day was just shy of a double-double, finishing with 13 points (6-12 FGs, 1-1 3FGs) and eight points.
- Hampton-Bey was a menace on the defensive end, ripping away four steals to go along with 12 points (5-10 FGs, 2-3 3FGs) and five rebounds.
- Galanopoulos, Chandler, and Hampton-Bey each dished out three assists.
- Tanin nearly posted a double-double of her own, coming off the bench to chip in 11 points (5-11 FGs, 1-2 FTs), nine rebounds, and two blocks.
- After seeing Drake operate at a 50-percent (15-for-30) clip in the first half, Loyola limited the hosts to just 30 percent (11-for-36) shooting the rest of the way.
- Megan Meyer paced the Bulldogs with 18 points (5-11 FGs, 4-7 3FGs, 4-4 FTs).
 
Up Next
Loyola returns to Gentile Arena next week, where it will open up a three-game homestand against Illinois State (February 10) and Bradley (February 12).