CHICAGO - Loyola Chicago mounted a furious second-half comeback but couldn't overcome a slow start Sunday afternoon, falling 70–67 to Maryland Eastern Shore at Gentile Arena.
"I'm tremendously disappointed in this loss, especially with the great environment in Gentile and the support from our students and fans," said Loyola Chicago Head Coach
Allison Guth. "We have a lot of respect for UMES — they play downhill and physical — and we knew how well they've performed after watching them against VCU and Northwestern. We felt prepared, especially after facing UConn, but the way we turned it over in the first half was unacceptable. You can't give it away 20 times. We cleaned it up in the second half, but it has to happen earlier, and our offense has to start faster. I loved our fight in the third and fourth quarters, but there's no excuse. We needed to win this game at home to keep building that support."
How it Happened
Kira Chivers opened the game with a three on the Ramblers' first possession, giving Loyola (1–3) its largest lead of the day at 3–0. But once UMES (3–2) settled in, the Hawks' full-court pressure swung the game. Loyola committed nine first-quarter turnovers as UMES put together a 19–2 run to build a 19–5 lead. The Ramblers closed the frame on an 8–3 push, trailing 22–13 after 10 minutes.
UMES extended its lead to 34–18 late in the second quarter before taking a 38–22 advantage into halftime.
Rosalie Mercille led Loyola with seven first-half points, while the Ramblers won the rebounding battle early with 21 boards but were hampered by 15 turnovers.
Loyola flipped the script out of the break, outscoring the Hawks 26–15 in the third quarter — its highest-scoring period of the season.
Brooklyn Vaughn powered the surge, and the Ramblers closed the frame on a 10–2 run to pull within 53–48 entering the fourth.
The momentum continued as Loyola opened the fourth with a 14–4 stretch to make it 55–52, then tied the game at 60 on an 8–2 run. Chivers hit a go-ahead three with 5:14 left to give Loyola its first lead since the early minutes, and her free throws moments later briefly put the Ramblers ahead again. Loyola held UMES without a field goal for the final 3:02, but the Hawks converted at the line and hung on in the closing seconds.
Game Notes
- Loyola finished with season highs in points (67), field-goal percentage (40.7 percent), rebounds (39) and assists (18), going a perfect 13-for-13 at the line.
- Vaughn posted her first career double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs.
- Mercille added a season-high 14 points and a team-high six rebounds.
- Audrey Deptula scored a season-best 11 points on three made threes.
- Alexa Kinas handed out a career-high six assists.
- Nevaeh Dickman chipped in career highs of four points and two assists.
- UMES was led by Brianna Barnes' 20 points.
Up Next
Loyola Chicago turns its attention to Illinois State this Tuesday (Nov. 18). Tip-off at Gentile Arena is set for 6 p.m. with coverage provided by ESPN+.
