CHICAGO — Alexa Kinas scored a career-high 18 points and led three Ramblers in double figures, but Loyola Chicago fell to Davidson, 62-50, on Wednesday afternoon at Gentile Arena.

"We have mixed emotions," said Loyola Chicago Head Coach Allison Guth. "We didn't score enough to win, but there were a lot of positives. I thought our team executed the scout at a high level and defended a very good Davidson offense well. They're a strong shooting team, and holding them to seven threes and 62 points was a big emphasis for us. We took pride in out-rebounding them, but turnovers hurt us — they turned 18 of ours into points. Offensively, our aggressiveness was good, but we have to finish better. If we clean up execution and value possessions, our defense and rebounding give us a chance to win. That's the focus as we prepare for Rhode Island,".

How it Happened
Davidson (10-5, 2-0 Atlantic 10) opened the game on a 13-4 run before Loyola Chicago (4-9, 0-2 Atlantic 10) responded late in the first quarter. A 5-0 spurt, capped by a Bessette 3-pointer, cut the deficit to 13-9 at the end of the opening period.

The Wildcats extended their lead in the second quarter, outscoring the Ramblers 17-10 to take a 30-19 advantage into halftime.

Davidson pushed the margin to 46-29 midway through the third quarter before Loyola Chicago answered with a 6-0 run, highlighted by a Vaughn basket, to trim the deficit to 46-35 with 1:13 remaining. Davidson carried a 49-37 lead into the fourth.

Loyola Chicago opened the final quarter with a 5-0 run, finished by an Alexus Mobley layup, to pull within 49-42 with 8:43 remaining. Davidson responded and held the Ramblers to 13 points in the fourth to secure the 62-50 victory.

Game Notes

• Kinas, Alex-Anne Bessette and Brooklyn Vaughn combined to score 39 of Loyola Chicago's 50 points, accounting for 78 percent of the Ramblers' offense.
• Bessette finished with 11 points, while Vaughn added 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals.
• Loyola Chicago held a slim 33-32 rebounding advantage, led by Vaughn's team-high eight boards.
• The Ramblers forced 16 Davidson turnovers and converted those takeaways into 17 points.
• Rosalie Mercille and Kinas paced Loyola Chicago defensively with three steals apiece.
• Davidson shot 44 percent from the field and led by as many as 19 points in the second half.
• Coming into the game, Davidson averaged 70.6 points per contest.

Up Next
Loyola Chicago returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 3, hosting Rhode Island at Gentile Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.