WILMINGTON, Del. (February 28, 2023) – Loyola makes it first appearance in the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship as the 15th-seeded Ramblers (6-23) play 10th-seeded Duquesne (18-11) in Wednesday's First Round. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. CT at Chase Fieldhouse, with the matchup airing live on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Loyola couldn't overcome a slow start in a 73-55 setback to Saint Louis in the regular season finale. The Ramblers stormed back from an early 19-point deficit and trailed by six near halftime, but the Billikens outscored the Ramblers 28-14 in the third quarter to take control.
Maya Chandler led with 16 points while
Sitori Tanin finished a rebound shy of another double-double with 15 points and nine boards.
Anna Brown chipped in with 11 points. Loyola registered its second most assists (16) in a game this season, with five from
Sam Galanopoulos and four by
Kira Chivers.
Series Stuff
Loyola and Duquesne will meet for just the fourth time overall, but the second time in a week after the two teams met in Pittsburgh last Wednesday. The Ramblers lead the all-time series 2-1. Loyola and Duquesne played twice in the 1992-93 season as members in the former Midwestern Collegiate Conference, with the Ramblers winning both matchups including a three-point victory (66-63) in Pittsburgh on Jan. 23, 1993. Loyola claimed an 11-point triumph (77-66) in the return trip to Chicago a month later.
In last week's matchup, Loyola led all but 59 seconds in the first half for a 33-30 halftime advantage, but came up short in a 10-point defeat, 71-61. The Ramblers made a season-high 12 threes in the contest, but the Dukes were more efficient in the second half shooting a combined 55% in the third and fourth periods, while Loyola shot 35% with six of eight made field goals coming from beyond the arc.
Sam Galanopoulos scored a career-high 20 points,
Anna Brown finished with 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting from distance, and
Kira Chivers tied her career-high total with 12 points.
Julia Hoefling returned to the lineup after missing 10 games due to injury, filling the statsheet with five points, seven rebounds, four blocks and three assists.
Scouting Duquesne
The Dukes had a three-game win streak snapped following a 64-60 loss in the regular season finale at Saint Joseph's last Saturday. Duquesne finished the year 8-8 in Atlantic 10 play, with 14 of its 18 overall wins coming on its home floor. The Dukes are scoring nearly 69 points per game, led by five players averaging double digits in the scoring column. Sophomore guard Megan McConnell averages 11.0 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals while shooting 49% from the field. Fellow sophomore guard Tess Myers leads the team at 11.9 points per game overall, while junior guard/forward Amaya Hamilton averaged a team-best 11.9 points per game in league play.
Up Next
The winner of the first-round matchup between Loyola and Duquesne will play No. 7 seed George Washington on Thursday. Tipoff for the second-round game is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT at Chase Fieldhouse.
