DAYTON, Ohio – The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team lost a 69-64 decision at Dayton after the Flyers' fourth-quarter comeback. The Ramblers were led by Sitori Tanin's 13 points while Ali Berg was close behind with 12.

With the loss, Loyola falls to 7-7 and 1-2 in Atlantic 10 play while Dayton improved to 7-8 and collected its first A-10 win.

"I am disappointed in trying to control our destiny on the defensive end of the floor," said head Loyola Chicago coach Allison Guth. "We had some good opportunities where we shared it. But when you give Dayton second chance opportunities and 17 offensive boards, it's tough. We defended with integrity for the first 30 minutes and we've got to come up with the stop."

How it Happened
The two teams started the affair even on the offensive end, but the Ramblers took an early 4-2 advantage in the first quarter after Tanin scored the team's first basket in the paint. Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr followed by snagging Dayton's missed jumper and went coast-to-coast for the layup. Loyola Chicago extended its lead to 14-10 thanks to Mallory Ramage's turnaround jumper. UD closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to regain the lead, however, with 12 seconds left, Hodge-Carr scored a layup to knot the contest, 16-16, as the first quarter came to an end.

The second quarter started slowly with neither team scoring in the first 2:43, but action quickly picked up when Loyola logged two straight buckets from Sam Galanopoulos and Hodge-Carr to claim a 23-22 edge. The Maroon and Gold ended the half shooting lights-out and on a 12-2 run. The 'Blers stretched its lead to 35-26 after Berg dilled a 3-pointer as time expired.

Dayton came out the halftime break on a 5-0 run, forcing the Ramblers to call an early timeout to slow the game down. But Dayton continued its run after the break and tied the contest at 35-35 before Tanin's driving layup at 7:01 ended the run. The Maroon and Gold, started by Sophia Nolan's layup to make the score 40-39, UD, went on a 12-5 sprint to end the quarter. With the gap at 51-45, Loyola, the Ramblers prepped for an intense final quarter.

The Flyers logged a quick 7-0 run to take a 58-55 lead with 3:53 to play in the game, but the 'Blers responded with a 7-2 run to regain the lead at 62-61. Dayton found its footing from there though and sunk the go-ahead jumper at 63-62 and 47 seconds left. The Flyers made all six of their free throws to end the game and seal its 69-64 win.   

Notes

• The Ramblers did work in the post, scoring 42 points in the paint while Dayton had 34.
• LUC's bench exploded for 22 points, its third-most of the season, while UD's produced eight.
• Loyola led with 13 fast break points while Dayton had just four.
• The Ramblers won the turnover battle by only committing 10 but forced 18 on the Flyers' end of the court. Those 18 turnovers turned into 12 points for Loyola.
• Tanin's 13 points led the 'Blers. She added three boards and a block as well.
• Berg totaled 12 points to claim second place on the box score.
• Emma Nolan, Alyssa Fisher, and Hodge-Carr had four rebounds each. Fisher and Hodge-Carr racked up four assists each as well.
• Ramage's eight points led the bench and was a season-high.

Up Next
The Ramblers will enjoy a few days off before action ramps back up Wednesday (Jan. 10) as the team plays host to Rhode Island. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT inside Gentile Arena with the game streaming live on ESPN+.