CHICAGO (March 5, 2022)
 
In Short…
Loyola University Chicago limited two-time defending Missouri Valley Conference regular season champion Missouri State (23-6, 14-4 MVC) to only 24 percent (16-for-67) shooting as it rolled to a 60-42 win this afternoon on Senior Day inside Gentile Arena.  Today's victory, Loyola's first against the Lady Bears since the 2013-14 season, sees the Ramblers close the 2021-22 regular season at 18-11 overall and 10-8 in Valley play.  The 18 victories are the program's most since a 21-win campaign during the 1988-89 season.
 
Head Coach Kate Achter's Thoughts…
"That was great. I couldn't be prouder of our seniors and our program.  I said the other night that if you want to see how important our seniors are for us, just look at our record.  There were exceptional days all around.  It was really great to see the group bounce back after Thursday night.  Missouri State is an exceptional basketball team and I thought our players did a great job against them."
 
How It Happened
Following an emotionally-charged pregame ceremony in which Loyola honored its graduating seniors, the Ramblers took their first lead just over two minutes in when Riley Blackwell drilled a three to make it 5-2.  After seeing Missouri State take a slim 10-9 edge on a Sydney Wilson layup, Maya Chandler countered with a three of her own to give Loyola a 12-10 lead it would carry into the second quarter.
 
Chandler added two more at the 8:23 mark of the second frame, stretching the gap to 14-10.  Reigning MVC Player of the Year Brice Calip put the Lady Bears back on level terms, 14-14, with 6:11 remaining in the half.  Following an Abigayle Jackson layup that knotted the score up at 16-16, Missouri State went the final 4:17 of the first half without a make from the field, as the Maroon & Gold headed to halftime with a 20-17 advantage.
 
Loyola continued to frustrate Missouri State on the defensive end of the floor coming out of the intermission, as the Lady Bears started the second half with nine straight misfires.  On the offensive side, the Ramblers took off on a 9-0 run to begin the quarter, six of which came from Allison Day, to establish a double-digit lead, 29-17, with 5:53 remaining.  An Anna Brown corner trey stretched the margin to 36-21 before Blackwell added a triple in the closing seconds to send Loyola charging into the fourth quarter with a 41-24 lead.
 
Blackwell picked up right where she left off to begin the final frame, hitting on another three that pushed the gap to 44-24.  A Chandler mid-range jumper with 6:16 to play gave Loyola its largest lead of the afternoon, 50-29, as the Ramblers coasted to the finish line to snap a 17-game skid against Missouri State and hand the Lady Bears only their sixth Valley defeat since 2019-20.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Loyola closed the regular season with its top defensive performance, holding Missouri State to an aforementioned 24-percent clip from the field, the low mark this season by a Rambler opponent.
- Day fell just a rebound shy of a double-double in leading Loyola, finishing with a game-high 16 points (6-13 FGs, 4-4 FTs), nine rebounds, an assist, and two blocks.
- Chandler added 15 points (5-9 FGs, 2-3 3FGs, 3-6 3FGs), while Blackwell also shined, putting up 13 points (4-6 FGs, 3-5 3FGs, 2-2 FTs) and five rebounds.
- Sam Galanopoulos handed out seven assists, one off her season-high, to go along with two points, six rebounds, and a steal.
- Julia Hoefling continued to be a force on the defensive end, racking up five blocks, her ninth game this season with at least three rejections.
- Jackson paced Missouri State with 12 points (5-18 FGs, 2-2 FTs), 11 rebounds, and five blocks.
 
Up Next
Following the completion of the regular season this afternoon, Loyola has earned an opening-round bye in next week's Missouri Valley Conference Championship.  The fifth-seeded Ramblers will battle Illinois State, the tournament's number four seed, in a quarterfinal-round clash at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11 inside TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Ill.