CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team fell, 66-60, to Eastern Illinois Saturday on the road. The Ramblers led the Panthers at halftime and at the end of the third quarter but were unable to hold on in the fourth quarter.

Loyola Chicago falls to 4-2 overall while EIU (1-4) notched their first win of 2024-25.

"We took one on the chin today against these guys," said Loyola Chicago Head Coach Allison Guth after the loss. "We always emphasize preparation, but we didn't execute our game plan or play the kind of beautiful Rambler basketball we're capable of. We expect more from ourselves, and we will absolutely give more moving forward,

Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr kicked off scoring for the Ramblers, turning in a layup from Sitori Tanin to give LUC a 2-0 lead. Jess Finney followed with a trey from Kira Chivers as Loyola owned a 5-3 lead at the 8:34 mark. After Tanin's made jumper at 5:20, which made the score 9-5, LUC, Eastern Illinois ended the first quarter on a 10-2 run and had a 15-11 lead after the first 10 minutes.

Emma Theodorsson started the second quarter with a made jumper from Chivers as the Ramblers looked to get back on track. With 3:45 left in the half, Finney drained a three-pointer and Kendall Hendrix followed with a layup, deadlocking the score, 20-20. Audrey Deptula made a three and Finney scored a layup to end the half, helping Loyola hold a 25-22 advantage heading into the locker room.

"The game came down to some key issues, starting with 12 careless turnovers in the first half, giving EIU extra possessions," Guth continued. "Despite that, we went into halftime with the lead. We made some adjustments in the third quarter—pushing the tempo, scoring effectively, and applying pressure with some zone coverage—but giving up 40 points in the second half is unacceptable,"

In the fourth quarter, EIU executed effectively, making the plays they needed to come out on top. The Ramblers struggled to find consistency on both ends of the floor, while the Panthers took advantage of key possessions and stayed steady down the stretch. A few missed opportunities and defensive lapses allowed EIU to pull ahead and hold on for the win.

Loyola Chicago retunes to the friendly confines of Gentile Arena this Tuesday (Nov. 26) as the team host Northwestern. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

"We've got to play harder and smarter. That's the expectation we have for this team, and it's what our players expect of themselves. The locker room is somber right now because this was a huge, missed opportunity to get a win on the road and prepare us for Tuesday against Northwestern. We've got to get better, and we will be better."