CHICAGO – Kira Chivers delivered a career-high 17 points, leading four Loyola Chicago players in double figures during a hard-fought 73-64 loss to crosstown rival Northwestern on Tuesday night at Gentile Arena. The Ramblers battled valiantly for four quarters, but Taylor Williams' double-double made the difference for the Wildcats.

"I really was pleased with our team's fight and effort against a talented Northwestern club," said Loyola Chicago Head Coach Allison Guth. "The game came down to having a stretch in the third quarter where we let it get away from us. When you step off the floor, Northwestern dominated us on the glass and on the offensive glass. But I really don't feel like we were outworked. I just really feel we had to be physically tougher and have a better presence in there. I really did like our game plan, and I thought our team executed it beautifully."

How it Happened
The Wildcats (2-3, 0-0 Big Ten) jumped out to an early 6-2 advantage over the Ramblers (4-3, 0-0 Atlantic 10), but Loyola, shooting 60-percent from deep in the first quarter, responded with a dominant 12-0 run fueled by two Kira Chivers three-pointers to seize a 14-6 lead. Brooklyn Vaughn added a layup with 24 seconds left in the first frame as LUC held a 19-13 advantage after 10 minutes of play.

The 'Blers were 6-of-15 (40-percent) from the field in the second quarter as the two teams duked it out. NU started the frame on a 7-2 run to shrink Loyola's lead to 21-20 but a pullup three-pointer from Naelle Bernard at 6:57 halted the sprint.

The threes kept falling as a few moments later, Emma Theodorsson and Jess Finney followed with treys of their own, giving the Maroon and Gold a 31-26 lead with five minutes left in the half. The Wildcats, however, ended the second quarter on a 9-5 run to make it a one-point affair (36-35) again as the teams headed into the locker room.

Sparked by two made field goals via Sitori Tanin and Bernard, the Ramblers started the third quarter on a 6-1 run to take a 42-36 lead, but it was all Northwestern for the rest of the frame. Firing off 22 shots—the most in a single quarter during the game for the visitors—the Wildcats used a 17-2 run to take a 53-44 lead. Coming out of a timeout with two minutes to go, Finney drilled a trey and Theodorrson connected on a pullup jumper to halt the run.

The Wildcats barely outscored Loyola, 15-14, in the final quarter. The visitors led by as many as 11 points, their largest lead of the game, in the final quarter but a five-point LUC swing kept things in check. Ultimately, Loyola suffered from its 5-of-21 (24-percent) shooting through the final 10 minutes. In the end, NU hung on to win it, 73-64.

Notes

• The Ramblers brought down 40 rebounds, their most since grabbing 43 in the season-opener vs. Kentucky State.
  • The team's 15 boards on the offensive glass tied its season-high.
• Loyola cashed in a season-best 11 threes, going 11-of-30 (37-percent) on the night.
• Chivers broke her career-high for the second time this season, scoring 17 points.
  • The Chicago native snagged five rebounds and dished out four assists as well.
• Theodorsson followed with 12 points and a season-high seven rebounds.
• Bernard finished next on the box score with 11 points and four assists.
• Finney ended the night with 10 points and six rebounds.
• Vaughn added a season-high seven rebounds.

Up Next
Loyola Chicago turns its attention to South Carolina State this Saturday (Nov. 30) at home. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.