CHICAGO – The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team secured its fourth consecutive victory with a 57-40 win over St. Bonaventure on Sunday at Gentile Arena. Emma Theodorsson and Naelle Bernard led the Ramblers with 13 points each, while the team dominated the boards, outrebounding the Bonnies 41-32—their largest rebounding margin of the season.

"Very proud of our team and our ability to get our first A-10 win here at home in Gentile after the break," said Loyola Chicago Head Coach Allison Guth. "I'm very focused on the things we set out to improve, specifically valuing possessions at a higher rate and rebounding the basketball. When we came into the locker room—excluding team rebounds—we celebrated the fact that we gave up only one offensive board to St. Bonaventure. That's a huge step in the right direction for us in terms of how we rebound the ball, and we're very proud of that.

How it Happened
Theodorsson scored eight of Loyola's (9-4, 1-1 Atlantic 10) first 10 points as the Pittsburgh native kicked off Loyola's scoring efforts with a made three-pointer at the 7:37 mark. The junior capitalized on a driving layup to score Loyola's next points, followed by Sitori Tanin extending the Ramblers' lead to 7-4 with a layup after a Bonnies (4-8, 0-1 Atlantic 10) turnover. In total, the Maroon and Gold forced eight St. Bonaventure turnovers before the game was level at 7-7 after one quarter.

The 'Blers started the second frame with a 5-0 sprint and took its largest lead up to that point (five points), in front 12-7. The run was briefly interrupted by Dani Haskell's made jumper at the 6:39 mark, but Tanin and Alexa Kinas scored to make it a seven-point advantage (16-9). The Bonnies closed the gap with an 8-2 run to close the half as LUC held on to a 18-17 point lead.

In the third quarter, Bernard hit a second-chance trey to stretch Loyola's lead to six (25-16). From there, the two teams went back-and-forth before LUC had a 29-23 lead before the fourth and final quarter.

It was an action-packed quarter as Loyola found its offensive rhythm in the last frame. The team lit up the scoreboard with 28 points, marking its highest-scoring final period since tallying 30 against Kentucky State in the season opener. Two consecutive stepback threes from Bernard propelled Loyola to a 48-34 lead with 2:37 remaining. A 7-0 run between the 1:07 mark and the final 13 seconds sealed the victory, as Loyola secured a 57-40 win.

Notes

• Loyola's four-game win streak ties the program's longest during the Guth era.
• The last time Loyola held an A-10 foe to 40 points or less was Feb. 8, 2024, in the team's 71-39 win at La Salle.
• Outrebounding the Bonnies today by eight, Loyola has won the battle on the glass in five of its last six matchups.
• Theodorsson scored 13 points and tied her season-high of rebounds with eight.
• Bernard also scored 13 points and gathered three rebounds.
• Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr came just one point and one rebound short of matching her season highs, finishing with 11 points and four rebounds.
• Kinas tied her career-high with eight points. She nearly tied her career-high in rebounds as she brought down five.

Up Next
The Ramblers are next in action this Thursday (Jan. 2) as the team travels to Dayton. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.