CHICAGO (January 31, 2023) – The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team (6-15, 1-7 A-10) is gearing up for its return to Gentile Arena tomorrow night as the Ramblers host the University of Dayton (3-17, 2-7 A-10) in Atlantic 10 action. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the contest airing live on ESPN+.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Loyola suffered a 10-point defeat in its first trip to VCU last Sunday. The Ramblers, who recorded their highest field-goal percentage in the previous five games (35.1%), pulled to within single digits with under a minute remaining but couldn't complete the comeback. Sam Galanopoulos and Maya Chandler led the scoring effort for Loyola, each with 10 points, along with a season-high nine points by Jala Johnson in her second start. The contest also marked the 10th straight outing for the Ramblers without committing more turnovers than their opponent. VCU's Chloe Bloom led the hosts with a career-high 19 points as the Rams' leading scorer Sarah Te-Biasu didn't play.
 
SERIES STUFF
Loyola and Dayton will meet for the 23rd time, renewing a series that dates to the 1981-82 season. The Flyers own the all-time series lead, 13-9, including two straight wins with the most recent meeting on Dec. 23, 2008 (85-55, UD) in Dayton, Ohio. The two programs were former league rivals in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (Horizon League) as Loyola went 6-4 against UD in MCC contests. Loyola's Allison Guth made her head-coaching debut at UD Arena in the 2015-16 season opener, with Guth's Yale squad nearly taking down the Flyers in a six-point setback, 81-75. UD was receiving votes in the national poll and coming off a trip to the Elite Eight.
 
SCOUTING DAYTON
Former WNBA player and Dayton native Tamika Williams-Jeter is in her first year leading the Flyers, who returned just four players from last year's NCAA Tournament squad. Dayton is looking to snap a five-game losing streak after falling on the road to George Washington last Saturday, 71-57. Redshirt junior Destiny Bohanon leads the Flyers in scoring at 12.2 points per game while shooting nearly 40% from three-point range. Dayton ranks 25th in the nation in rebounds per game (41.85) – an area where the Ramblers (30.14) are looking to improve. The Flyers are 1-7 in road games this season including a pair of one-point losses at Duquense and St. Bonaventure.
 
UP NEXT
Loyola begins a two-game road trip at Fordham this Saturday (1 p.m. CT), before heading to Davidson the following Wednesday (6 p.m. CT). As the regular season winds down, three of the Ramblers' final five games will be played at Gentile Arena – St. Bonaventure (Feb. 11), George Mason (Feb. 15) and Saint Louis (Feb. 25).