CHICAGO (January 21, 2023) – After a week off from game action, the Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team hosts La Salle in Atlantic 10 play Sunday afternoon at Gentile Arena. Tipoff is slated at 2 p.m. CT with the game airing live on ESPN+. The Ramblers (6-12, 1-4 A-10) are focused on snapping a four-game slide while the Explorers (12-8, 3-2 A-10) look to capture their fourth straight victory.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Loyola's shooting woes led to a season-low 34 points last Sunday in a setback against conference-leading Rhode Island. Freshman Mallory Ramage registered a season-high seven points to lead the Ramblers, who finished shooting just 20% (11-56) overall from the floor. URI's Mayé Touré led the Rams with 12 points and 15 rebounds for her sixth straight double-double effort. The Rams used a 56-32 rebounding advantage to outscore the Ramblers 20-0 in second-chance points. After a slow start, the Ramblers pulled back within a point when Jala Johnson provided a quick lift off the bench with five points. Anna Brown's jumper trimmed the deficit back down to single digits, 22-13, at the 6:26 mark in the second quarter, but the Ramblers went cold from the field and were held scoreless until halftime where the Rams pushed out to a 20-point lead. Loyola finished plus-two in the turnover category and has not committed more turnovers than its opponent in seven consecutive games.
 
SERIES STUFF
La Salle is just one of three A-10 opponents (Saint Louis, Dayton) that Loyola has played in the past. Sunday's matchup will feature the ninth meeting between the two programs, with the Explorers holding the all-time series lead, 6-2. Loyola won the most recent matchup against La Salle on Nov. 11, 2012, holding on for a 56-50 victory in Philadelphia. La Salle won the last meeting in Gentile Arena by three points (48-45) on Dec. 8, 2011. The Explorers have recorded two wins in three contests played at Loyola.
 
SCOUTING LA SALLE
Coming off a three-point win (61-58) at Saint Joseph's last Wednesday, La Salle currently sits fifth in the conference standings. The Explorers are winners of three straight, and four out of their past five contests since the new year with the only loss coming at Rhode Island. A trio of veterans lead the way for La Salle, as senior Claire Jacobs (13.1 ppg) and graduate student Kayla Spruill (12.4 ppg) rank among the top 20 A-10 scoring leaders, while graduate student Molly Masciantonio leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.8). The Explorers are 5-6 in road games this season and 23-26 in away contests over the past four seasons under head coach Mountain MacGillivray.
 
UP NEXT
Loyola will turn right around to host George Washington at 11 a.m. CT Wednesday for 'Field Trip Day with the Ramblers', which is slated to air live on NBC Sports.