RICHMOND, Va. – The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball came back from being down 16 points and briefly led Richmond in the fourth quarter, but ultimately suffered a 75-71 defeat Saturday night on the road. Sam Galanopoulos' game-high 21 points led three other Ramblers in double figures.

"We did our jobs on the offensive ends of the third and fourth quarters – it came down to the wire," said Loyola Chicago head coach Allison Guth after the loss. "I thought we made some fantastic defensive plays down the line, but credit Richmond with how talented they are. There was balanced scoring, selflessness, and a fight and grit among us."

How it Happened
Richmond took control of the contest early and led by as many as 16 points in the first and second quarters. Loyola Chicago withered the Spiders' lead back down to seven points (30-23) thanks to an 11-2 LUC stretch to begin the second frame. A beautiful steal-and-score on the inbound by Ali Berg after Emma Nolan's layup capped the Ramblers' run.  

The Spiders ended the second quarter on an 11-6 run however, claiming a 41-29 lead as the two teams headed into the locker rooms.

Coming out of the halftime break, Loyola Chicago put together a fantastic quarter, shooting lights out from the field (53-percent) and limiting Richmond's offensive possessions. Back-to-back layups from Sam Galanopoulos sparked an 11-0 Maroon and Gold sprint, giving Loyola its first lead of the day at 42-41. Richmond ended the quarter on a 6-2 run and held a 50-48 edge heading into the final frame, but notably, Loyola out-rebounded Richmond, 11-4, through the quarter.

Loyola battled Richmond back-and-forth to begin the fourth quarter and led, 56-54, with 5:01 left in the game. After that lead though, Richmond outscored LUC, 21-15. It was a two-score affair after Alyssa Fisher's 3-pointer with under 15 seconds left, but Richmond secured its free throws on the other end to seal a 75-71 lead.

Notes

• The Ramblers were led by Galanopoulos' 21 points, her ninth time logging double digits in the past 10 games.
• Close behind was Fisher with 16 points. Sitori Tanin and Ali Berg (bench-high) followed with 12 apiece.
• Kira Chivers posted a career-high eight assists while tying her season-high in rebounds with four.
• Emma Nolan, making her second-consecutive start, tallied nine points and a team-high seven boards.
• The team cashing in 10-of-22 attempts from beyond the arc (46-percent).
• Loyola committed just 11 turnovers for its fifth-lowest total this season.

Up Next
LUC returns home for its second-to-last home game of 2023-24 this Wednesday (Feb. 21) as it hosts Massachusetts. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT with the game streaming live on ESPN+ and NBC Sports Digital.