CHICAGO - The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team returns home for a matchup with Maryland Eastern Shore this Sunday (Nov. 16). Tip-off inside Gentile Arena is set for 1 p.m. with live coverage provided by ESPN+. Sam Brief (pxp) and former Rambler Christian Thomas (commentary) will be on the call. 

QUICK HITS

• Grab your ticket to either the women's game or the men's game the same day at 4 p.m. vs. Colorado State, and you're in for both matchups! Don't miss a full day of Loyola basketball.
• The Ramblers aim to get back on track after suffering back-to-back losses.
• Most recently, Loyola Chicago fell to top-ranked and defending national, UConn, in Storrs, 85-31.
• UConn built a 41–14 halftime lead behind strong shooting and capitalizing on turnovers.
• Loyola showed defensive flashes, forcing 12 turnovers — more than No. 20 Louisville managed vs. UConn.
• Alexa Kinas and Alex-Anne Bessette led Loyola with seven points and three steals each.
• Rosalie Mercille and Kira Chivers each scored five points.
• Kendall Hendrix pulled down a team-high and career-best seven rebounds.
• Attendance of 10,244 was the second-largest crowd Loyola has played in front of in program history.
• Prior to the loss at UConn, the Ramblers fell, 55-46, to Green Bay in the programs home opener.
• Bessette has been a huge addition to the Ramblers' rotation. The freshman ranks ninth in the Atlantic 10 in blocked shots per game (1.0) and eighth in steals per game (2.3).
• Djoko has also been making noise in Rogers Park. The transfer is 13th in the league in steals per game (2.0) and 22nd in assists per game (2.3).
• Mercille sits No. 23 in the conference in 3-point percentage (.375) to give the Maroon and Gold a spark from behind the arc.

2025-26 RAMBLER BITES

• The Ramblers aim to improve on last season's 13-17 ledger as Head Coach Allison Guth enters her fourth season at the helm.
• Guth is 34-57 in three seasons at LUC and holds a career record of 133-131 after beginning her career at Yale.
• Loyola Chicago returns eight letterwinners from the 204-25 roster. Additionally, Guth added five newcomers during the offseason.
• Over the summer, former Ramblers Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr (Valur Körfubolti) and Naelle Bernard (AS Aulnoye Basket) signed professional contracts overseas.
• Five Ramblers have turned professional under Head Coach Allison Guth.
• Since 2010, nine Ramblers have gone on to sign professional contracts: Hodge-Carr, Bernard, Sam Galanopoulos, Emma Nolan, Sophia Nolan, Troy Hambric, Taylor Manuel, Bre Hampton-Bey, and Allison Day.

SCOUTING THE UMES HAWKS

• Head Coach Malikah Willis, who served on staffs at Chicago State (2002-03) and UIC (2001-02), is in her second season leading the Hawks.
• UMES was picked to finish third in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Ashanti Lynch and Brianna Barnes were named to the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team.
• So far, the Hawks are 2-1 before facing Northwestern and Loyola Chicago in the Windy City.
• Zamara Haynes leads the team with 11.9 points per game, the 11th best mark in their conference. She also ranks sixth in assists per game with 2.9 per contest.
• Ce'Nara Skanes paces the team on the glass with 8.3 rebounds per game, the fifth-best marl in the MEAC.
• As a team, the Hawks have the third-best defense in their league, allowing 60.8 points per matchup.

ALL-TIME AGAINST UMES

• Sunday marks the first meeting between the two programs.

LAST TIME OUT
Loyola Chicago fell 85–31 to top-ranked and defending national champion UConn, but the matchup offered valuable experience against the nation's premier program. The Huskies used a dominant first half to create separation, though Loyola showed competitive stretches by forcing 12 turnovers and assisting on most of its made baskets. Alexa Kinas and Alex-Anne Bessette led the Ramblers with seven points and three steals each, while Kendall Hendrix posted a career-high seven rebounds. Clara Djoko added two blocks, and Rosalie Mercille and Kira Chivers chipped in five points apiece. The game, played in front of 10,244 fans — the second-largest crowd in program history — also saw Loyola connect on several timely threes despite UConn's defensive pressure.

ATLANTIC 10 PRESEASON POLL

• Richmond is the preseason favorite to win the 2025-26 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball title, topping the coaches' poll for a second straight year. The Spiders return All-A-10 stars Maggie Doogan and Rachel Ullstrom after a 28-7 season and their first NCAA Tournament win.
• George Mason ranks second, followed by Davidson, Rhode Island, and Dayton. Saint Joseph's, VCU, Duquesne, Saint Louis, and George Washington complete the top 10. Fordham, La Salle, Loyola Chicago, and St. Bonaventure round out the poll.
• Doogan, Ullstrom, George Mason's Zahirah Walton and Kennedy Harris, and VCU's Mary-Anna Asare headline the Preseason All-Conference First Team.
• RETURNING RAMBLERS
• Loyola Chicago returns eight from the 2024-25 roster: Yasmyn Palmer, Roisin Grandberry, Alexa Kinas, Audrey Deptula, Rosalie Mercille, Kendall Hendrix, Kira Chivers, and Brooklyn Vaughn.
• Key returners include senior point guard Kira Chivers who started 25 of 28 games in 2024–25, leading Loyola in steals per game (1.1) and ranking 16th in the A-10 in assists (2.9), with the league's 10th-best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3). She scored in double figures six times, highlighted by a career-high 17 points and five rebounds vs. Northwestern, and delivered a season-best seven assists at Eastern Illinois.
• Another key returner, junior guard Rosalie Mercille, appeared in 20 games in 2024–25, returning from injury to contribute nine points in the Senior Day win vs. Saint Louis. She posted double-digit scoring twice, including 11 points at Eastern Illinois, and matched a season-high four rebounds three times. Mercille also recorded three assists in three straight games early in the season.
• Point guard Alexa Kinas played in 28 games with five starts as a freshman in 2024–25, logging the most minutes among Loyola newcomers. She shot .443 from the field, finishing second on the team in FG percentage, and tied for second in steals (29). Kinas scored seven points in her debut, posted a season-high 15 points vs. Richmond, and grabbed a season-best six rebounds twice.

FRESH FACES

• Alex-Anne Bessette is a three-time All-Canadian and AmeriCup silver medalist who helped Team Canada to silver at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women's Americas Championship. The 6-foot-2 Quebec City native led her prep team to the 2025 OSBA title and earned Second Team All-Star honors. She played on the elite Kia Nurse EYBL circuit.
• Alexus Mobley arrives as a graduate transfer from Akron after two seasons with the Zips and two at Danville Community College. The Indianapolis native started 38 games at Akron, averaging 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. She recorded career highs of 30 points and 17 rebounds during the 2024-25 season.
• Daniella Matus is a 1,000-point scorer who averaged 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in her final season at Morris Catholic. She helped St. John Vianney win a fourth straight Shore Conference Tournament title and reach the NJSIAA semifinals. Matus earned Morris County Tournament MVP honors, All-Tournament recognition at the John Wall National Christmas Tournament, and multiple all-conference awards, including NJAC First Team. She starred for Team Sharp on the AAU circuit and was a 2025 McDonald's All American Game nominee.
• Nevaeh Dickman is a 6-foot power forward from Fishers, Ind., rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and ranked No. 6 in Indiana. She earned multiple all-state honors, including IBCA Senior Large School All-State, and HCC First Team All-Conference recognition.
• Clara Djoko, a 6-foot forward from Entzheim, France, transfers from UC Irvine, where she appeared in 55 games over two seasons. She contributed across the stat sheet, highlighted by games with four rebounds at Cal State Bakersfield and three steals in consecutive contests as a freshman.
• Assistant Coach Jasmyne Fogle joins Loyola after roles at Quinnipiac, Putnam Science Academy, and Iona. At Quinnipiac, she led operations, travel, logistics, video, marketing, and student support for three seasons. She previously assisted with coaching, recruiting, and academics at Putnam Science Academy and served as a graduate assistant at Iona. Fogle played collegiately at Franklin Pierce and Post University, earning All-CACC honors in 2018 before completing graduate degrees from Post and Iona.
• Assistant Coach Alyssa Fisher returns to Loyola after beginning her coaching career at Dartmouth, where she helped mentor an All-Ivy performer. As a Rambler in 2023–24, she led the team in threes, free throws, and steals while averaging 13.5 points per game, earning a selection to the WBCA So You Want To Be A Coach program. Fisher previously earned dual bachelor's degrees at St. Francis Brooklyn and an MBA at Loyola.
• Assistant Coach Adam Call arrives from George Washington following a four-year stint that included multiple A-10 Championship wins and development of all-conference and all-defensive selections. His 17-year coaching career includes stops at Eastern Michigan, Stony Brook, Washington, Northwestern, TCU, and Oklahoma, where he contributed to several postseason runs. He holds degrees from Oklahoma and TCU.

BUY TICKETS NOW!
Catch every women's basketball game at Gentile Arena with a season ticket package! Season ticket options include reserved courtside seating for $180/seat and general admission seating for $81/seat. Single-game tickets are $10 each.

Courtside season tickets are the only reserved seats available. Courtside seats are located across from the team benches in front of Sections 108 and 110. The online system will automatically place you in the best courtside seats available. Please contact the Loyola ticket office at (773) 508-9653 to discuss specific seat locations. Click here to purchase. 

SOCIAL BUZZ
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