CHICAGO - The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team returns to Gentile Arena for a matchup with La Salle. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. live on ESPN+ tomorrow (Jan. 21). Sam Brief (pxp) and Kate Constable (color) will call the game.  

QUICK HITS

• The Ramblers enter Wednesday on the heels of a 53-48 road win at George Washington this past weekend.
• The first 150 students in attendance will receive a free Rambler tote bag, and a priority housing raffle will also be held for students!
• The Ramblers outscored the Revolutionaries 18-10 in the fourth quarter after trailing 38-35 entering the final period.
• Alexus Mobley led Loyola Chicago with a season-high 19 points while adding five rebounds and two blocks.
• Mobley, who is back full strength after injury, has scored in double figures three times this season.
• Rosalie Mercille scored 11 points off the bench, including a key 3-pointer late in the third quarter.
• Alexa Kinas finished with three points, a career-high seven steals and two blocks.
• Kinas has scored 12 or more points in five of the last six games.
• The Ramblers have now won three of their last four games.
• LUC has had a better 3-point percentage than its foes in the last three games.
• Brooklyn Vaughn ranks in the top-10 of the A-10's rebounding leaders with 6.5 per game. 
• Alex-Anne Bessette (11.5) sits No. 21 in the league's top scorers' standings.
• Kira Chivers ranks 17th in assists per game with 2.6.
• The 'Blers are 6-0 when leading at the half.

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 compiled a 34–57 record over her first three seasons at LUC and enters 2025–26 with a 133–131 career mark after beginning her head-coaching tenure 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 LA SALLE

• Head Coach Mountain MacGillivray is 92-135 (.405) in eight seasons at La Salle.
• La Salle is 10-8 overall and 3-4 in Atlantic 10 play this season.
• The Explorers are on a four-game skid with their most recent loss coming at the hands of Davidson.
• Joan Quinn paced the Explorers with 19 points, shooting 6 of 11 from the field, knocking down 3 of 4 attempts from 3-point range and converting all four free throws.
• Ashleigh Connor (15.3) and Aryss Macktoon (15.1) rank seventh and ninth in the A-10's top scorers, respectively.
• Macktoon also ranks sixth in rebounding with 6.8 boards per game while Connor is fourth in assists (3.7).
• La Salle averages 63.7 points per game and a .385 clip from the floor.

ALL-TIME AGAINST LA SALLE

• Loyola trails La Salle in all-time meetings, 2-3.
• In the first-ever matchup, Loyola fell to La Salle, 48-45, on Dec. 8, 2011. It was Loyola's first game in the freshly remolded Gentile Arena.
• Loyola logged its first-ever win over La Salle the following season on Nov. 11, 2012. It was a 56-50 road win for the 'Blers.
• Simone Law and Monica Albano led the way for Loyola, scoring 11 points each.

LAST TIME OUT
Behind a season-high performance from Alexus Mobley and a stifling defensive effort in the fourth quarter, Loyola Chicago rallied past George Washington for a 53-48 Atlantic 10 road win Saturday at the Charles E. Smith Center. The Ramblers trailed 38-35 entering the final quarter before outscoring the Revolutionaries 18-10 over the final 10 minutes, forcing 17 turnovers and holding GW to just 2-of-18 shooting from 3-point range. Mobley finished with 19 points, five rebounds and two blocks, while Rosalie Mercille added 11 points off the bench and Alexa Kinas recorded a career-high seven steals to go along with two blocks. Loyola Chicago generated 22 points in the paint, 12 second-chance points and 10 fast-break points, took the lead for good midway through the fourth quarter, and sealed the victory at the free-throw line to improve to 7-11 overall and 3-4 in A-10 play.

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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